Assessing the impact of urban Syrian refugees on the urban fabric of Al Mafraq city architecturally and socially

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the direct and indirect impacts of urban Syrian refugees on the residential urban fabric of Al Mafraq city physically and socially. Physically means regarding architectural style and socially means regarding social cohesion and sense of community. Therefore, the research questions are: What are the main source of tensions between the urban Syrian refugees and Al Mafraq host community that hinders the social cohesion? And what is the impact of the urban Syrian refugees on Al Mafraq city socially and architecturally? Design/methodology/approach Different research methods were used to explore and provide a rich description of the direct and indirect impacts of urban Syrian refugees on Al Mafraq city architecturally and socially. Desk reviews, focus group discussions and semi-structured individual in-depth interviews were used to explore the social impact of the Syrian refugees on Al Mafraq city. In addition, a qualitative comparative analysis was used to explore their impact on architectural style and urban sprawl. Findings The results show that changes have occurred on the character of the residential environment resulting in a conversion about the urban fabric of Al Mafraq city both physically, in regard to architectural style, and socially, regarding social cohesion and sense of community. Physically, the city suffers from a decline in the uniformity of the built environment, resulting in a partial loss of its identity as a homogenous place with calm, cohesive residential neighborhoods. On the other hand, the social fabric of the city is losing its homogeneity and solidarity, causing a decline in the sense of community, social cohesion and levels of trust, and a rise in the social tension leading to severe conflicts among community members. Practical implications The different stakeholders should express high concern for the different sources of tensions between the urban Syrian refugee and Al Mafraq host community. They should foster formal and informal communication and promote dialogue between the two communities to improve social relations and reduce the tension between them. The consequences of Syrian asylum on hosting countries present an issue that has been vastly studied by several scholars and international agencies. Research, reports and surveys all denote the negative impact of refugees, especially in cases where resources are scarce, as is the case with Jordan. As a part of such consequences, Al Mafraq city is moving in the wrong direction as a result of the increasing flow of refugees. Originality/value The current discourse about the influence of urban refugees on social and architectural style among host communities lacks veracity. Therefore, the significance of this research is offering an alternative academic view to enrich current knowledge and encourage further discourse research about urban refugees. In addition, this research is a comprehensive and double focused, not just on social inclusion and tensions but on urban environment and architecture. This research is useful for architects, urban designers and planners, sociologists, policymakers and humanitarian and peace-building practitioners in the urban non-camp complex emergency setting.

A Thematic Review of Neighbourhood Built Environment Factors That Affect the Sense of Community

“…People are more likely to be satisfied with their area and have a stronger feeling of community when they see outstanding accessibility, walkable street quality, beautiful architecture, and tranquil surroundings [29]. Two researchers focus on architectural design as a built environment factor for their studies which is [17], [49] [17], [49]. The built environment, which includes urban planning, built environment, and architecture and their surroundings, affects how people act and interact with one another [17] and a physical component was used in the study to measure design elements like the use of colour, weights, signs and street art, balcony areas, decoration of windows and displays, architecture, size, and repair standards, as well as other decorative situations that deviate from standard practises [49].…”

“…Two researchers focus on architectural design as a built environment factor for their studies which is [17], [49] [17], [49]. The built environment, which includes urban planning, built environment, and architecture and their surroundings, affects how people act and interact with one another [17] and a physical component was used in the study to measure design elements like the use of colour, weights, signs and street art, balcony areas, decoration of windows and displays, architecture, size, and repair standards, as well as other decorative situations that deviate from standard practises [49]. Finally, merging the research domains of urban sociologists, community psychologists, and architects through symbolic interactionist ideas may be an advantageous method for looking at the aspects influencing the feeling of community and larger urban dynamics.…”

“…The most physical aspect recreational facilities factor which has a total of thirteen (13) as per used by [17], [30]- [32], [35], [37], [38], [41], [44], [52] [19], [53]. The second most physical factor is architecture style similarly, which is used by 10 researchers [17], [31], [32], [38], [41], [43], [44], [49], [54] [19] Similarly used from the third to furth physical criteria 10 times each, roadway design, and lake and garden paths. Eight researchers utilised this study, and street and landscape trees were the sixth most frequently used while residential density is ranked as the fifth significant physical factor affecting SOC by eight (8) scholars.…”

Revisiting Urban Resilience: A Review on Resilience of Spatial Structure in Urban Refugee Neighborhoods Facing Demographic Changes

“…The study focuses on the resilient urban form because an adequate response to population influx challenges is important to prepare the urban system, sub-system, and components (Kirbyshire et al, 2017). In this regard, the literature on urban refugees in cities shows their neighborhoods with low accommodation standards, informal processes, and poorly designed overcrowded housing (Alhusban et al, 2019). The literature also shows poor public transportation, less accessibility to amenities, and a lack of open spaces (Alhusban et al, 2019).…”

“…In this regard, the literature on urban refugees in cities shows their neighborhoods with low accommodation standards, informal processes, and poorly designed overcrowded housing (Alhusban et al, 2019). The literature also shows poor public transportation, less accessibility to amenities, and a lack of open spaces (Alhusban et al, 2019). Moreover, refugees influence their urban form settings with physical and spatial characteristics of their previous neighborhoods for a better sense of place (Mazumdar et al, 2000).…”