Salt Municipality, Italian Gov’t Ink pound 2.5M Deal for “Green Salt” Initiative

Salt: The Greater Salt Municipality signed a pound 2.5 million agreement with the Italian government on Thursday, facilitated through the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), to implement the "Green Al-Salt: Public Spaces and Living Heritage for Socio-Economic Development" initiative. This project, undertaken in partnership with UNESCO and in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Culture, is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). It follows Salt City's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, naming it "The Place of Tolerance and Urban Hospitality," and aims to enhance economic and social well-being by revitalizing public spaces and preserving living heritage. Adopting a multi-dimensional approach, the initiative addresses urban development pressures and challenges to the sustainability, authenticity, and cohesion of Salt's urban fabric. During the signing ceremony, Mayor of Salt Mohamed Hiyari outlined the project's i mplementation strategy, which includes collecting spatial data, identifying public spaces using geographic information systems (GIS), and assessing their availability, quality, and distribution. A city-wide inventory of intangible cultural heritage will also be conducted. A workshop will validate the draft report on public space and intangible cultural heritage assessment, he added. The final report will inform a strategy for public spaces at the city level and an action plan integrating these strategies into the municipality's annual plans and budget, as well as administrative management plans. Selected public spaces will undergo necessary interventions such as lighting, seating, shaded areas, and green spaces. The project also aims to identify economically viable intangible cultural heritage elements and develop vocational training programs to revive and protect these elements, said the mayor. Hiyari highlighted that three pilot public spaces, designed with gender considerations, will be rehabilitated to support safety and the city's hospitality traditions, involving local community and stakeholders. The project will also build the capacity of municipal employees to develop and maintain safe, inclusive, and accessible public spaces. Through this initiative, job opportunities and income sources will be created for the residents of Salt. Source: Jordan News Agency