The shift from sustainability to resilience as a driver for policy change: a policy analysis for more resilient and sustainable cities in Jordan

Cities around the world are facing ongoing challenges politically, socially, economically and environmentally, which calls for robust incorporation of sustainability and resilience in policies. This article investigates the growing use of those concepts in policy in a developing country in the Arab world, taking Jordan as a relevant case, using document qualitative analysis as a primary method supported by the word frequency method. It brings together several national to local level policies, that address bottom-up and top-down challenges, developed after a shock, the Syrian refugee crisis that changed the scenario of policy development. The article aimed to understand the extent of the use of sustainability and resilience in policies in the Jordan case. Results indicate that those terms are often used in an ambiguous manner, which may lead to misleading in some cases. Results also highlight that the interest of policymakers is shifting from sustainability to resilience. However, it is still not the focus of policies that is changing: it is a simple exchange of buzzwords. This study is relevant to countries experiencing rapid population growth caused by refugees and those aiming to move toward or increase their urban sustainability and resilience through policymaking in the Arab world and beyond. (C) 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This article explores the growing use of sustainability and resilience concepts in policies in a developing country in the Arab world, with Jordan as a case study. The results indicate that these terms are often used ambiguously, and policymakers' interest is shifting from sustainability to resilience. However, the focus of policies is not changing significantly, but rather it is a superficial exchange of buzzwords.