GIZ (The German Corporation for International Cooperation) in partnership with Grand Amman Municipality and the Ministry of Environment initiated the project titled ‘Improving Living Conditions in poverty stricken areas of Amman project via the implementation of green infrastructure’ enhancing the participatory development of green infrastructure at selected sites in Amman’s disadvantaged neighborhoods. 

The three selected pilot sites represented 3 different urban typologies in terms of form, role in the urban fabric, and the applicable jurisdiction. One of the pilot sites was the 7th Stair on Al-Quds Street near Ras Al-Ain in Badr District.

The 7th stairs within Al Quds Street stretch over approximately 100m in length and rise 30m. The width of the stairs varies between 3.6m-4m throughout its length. With limited connectivity to adjacent pedestrian networks due to informal settlement and land ownership issues, the stairs mainly serves the residents living within its direct periphery, offering an opportunity to explore a more intimate scale of public space.

After reaching a general consensus on the design priorities with the community, a kit of parts was developed to include various agreed upon design elements including planters, benches, drainage channels, lighting, service ramps, community gathering area and a herbal garden.

The final layout for the seventh stair came from synthesizing the various elements from the kit of parts and adapting them to existing contextual constraints along the length of the stairs. These constraints included existing levels and locations of home entrances and windows, as well as existing walls and infrastructure. 

As the degree of perceived privacy increases as you ascend the stairs, the resulting design creates 3 varying identities for the lower, middle and top thirds of the stairs. The two lower thirds attempt to cause minimal changes to the existing levels to reduce cost, whereas the top third involves more prominent changes to mitigate mobility and access through drastic changes in levels.