Assessing the vitality of Amman’s urban stairways: a comparative study

Purpose This research paper aims to shed light on Amman’s stairways and explore the potential of being successful urban spaces. It tries to identify critical design factors that contribute to making these stairs livable urban spaces to help further develop this type of urban space. Design/methodology/approach Three popular stairs were identified, for which a series of exploratory visits were conducted to document the morphological characteristics and essential activities around each stairway. This was followed by administering a questionnaire to measure users’ satisfaction with four criteria, including protection, comfort, attractiveness and functionality, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each stair. Findings Results confirmed the presence of essential design aspects that encourage users to come and practice certain activities that enhance urban social life. Aspects of concern include security and protection, aesthetic quality, uniqueness, variety of activities, room to walk, sit and socialize and good management of space. Research limitations/implications Results can be taken as a departure frame for future research to conduct deeper analysis to comprehend the stairways’ physical, contextual and social characteristics. Understanding the settings of such vital urban spaces will help revive their roles and bring back their brilliance to restore the city’s liveliness and maintain a better life quality for its residents. Originality/value Research interests almost lack studies addressing urban stairways aiming to understand the qualities that enable them to attract people and activities. The manuscript presents beneficial research that tackles the vitality of urban stairways, as an example of linear public spaces. Enhancing the quality of these spaces will help stimulate pedestrian movement and activate walking as an essential sustainable means of commuting at the city level.