Cities in developed countries are increasingly challenged by the advent of a global economy that mandates generating creative images of their cities. Meanwhile, it is argued in this study that globalisation, and its Arabic version of Dubaisation, is affecting the sustainability of cities as distinguished destinations because urban representation is influenced not only by ‘standardised global cliché’ but also by ‘standardised local images’ that transforms local cultures into contested heritage as it intensifies an official and civic nexus. The paradox is examined in Jordan, specifically the famously branded ‘city of mosaic’ – Madaba, where the state government is currently competing for attracting international investments and tourism development to achieve neoliberal urban restructuring. Urban heritage representation has been subject to passive dominant official discourse that rests upon orthodox mosaic practices of remote past – a praxis that is not necessarily endorsed by civic Ahl elbalad. The local mosaic heritage has hitherto been transformed into a competing culture that fosters heritage dualities and challenges the internal implications of heritage representation with its elevated feelings of alienation, disempowerment, gentrification and socio-cultural exclusion. A theoretical framework has been suggested for an alternative civic-orientated heritage revival that allows reconciliation between the official/civic nexus yet meanwhile stimulates creative urban images and identities. Other insights are also considered in the study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a practical framework that combines the psychological supportive design features in hospitals’ healing environments, also, to examine the implementation of these features in a Jordanian public hospital. Background: Positive psychological feelings are the hidden powerful treatment in hospitals. Although that Jordan represents a third-world country, it is counted as one of the most sought-after healthcare locations in the Middle East for its distinguished healthcare serveries (Private Hospitals Association, 2019). Nevertheless, the architectural and interior design of the healthcare facilities in Jordan usually ignores the inpatients’ psychological needs. Also, there is an absence of practicing a set of psychological supportive design features to guide the hospitals’ design in Jordan. Method: Design features are obtained from the main theories in the field of supportive healing environments. A large Jordanian public hospital was selected to be assessed in terms of these features within the developed practical framework. This study adopts a mixed methodology; data are collected using different methods, mainly literature review, site inventory, and inpatients’ questionnaire. Results: The studied hospital remains moderately considerable in terms of the psychologically supportive design features. However, the nature connectivity aspect is not satisfactorily considered in the studied hospital design. Conclusion: This study suggests a responsive design that fosters interaction and integration with surrounding nature in order to increase levels of connectivity with nature. The studied design features in this study could work as guiding principles for Jordanian hospitals’ designers.

The central urban landscape of Amman, including the archaeological sites of the Roman Theatre, Odeon and Forum, has played an essential cultural, political, social, and economic role in local identity and memory since the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan in 1921. This research is an ethnographic study of this urban landscape. It combines local people's responses to recent governmental interventions to develop the downtown area around the Roman Complex. We document how the Roman Complex “grew” as a feature of a modern Jordanian landscape, not just a reminder of the Roman imperial past. The study investigates conflicting perspectives that have arisen between local community members and recent development projects. In these projects local people's memories, feelings, knowledge, and activities related to the Roman Complex are sacrificed in order to present an image of Amman that can be perceived globally.

This study identifies ‘heritage as practice’ as an alternative to ‘authorized’ heritage engagement. Heritage, in this sense, is perceived as a source of inspiration and creativity rather than just an asset to be preserved. ‘Heritage as practice’ is informed by the conventional identification and evaluation of heritage, coupled with the architectural and artistic instincts, capacities, creativity, and commitment found in the field of architecture, to interpret heritage. We label the work produced out of this practice as ‘creative material’ that is subjected to further re-creation when it is used as a platform for community engagement. We examine the mechanisms of these engagements through an academic experiment in which architecture students were asked to analyze the representations of the local heritage site of Umm el-Jimal, Jordan. We argue that shifting from ‘authorized’ engagement to informed ‘instinctual’ one gives the students a soft authority over heritage. However, it is the capacity to creatively engage with and about heritage, and use this to continuously and creatively interpret heritage, that makes this authority valid and just.