Street level urban metabolism as a tool for mapping urban flows in Amman’s neighborhoods

This article examines urban systems through the analytical framework of street-level urban metabolism, expanding upon Kennedy's multi-layered studies of urban metabolic processes. While traditional urban metabolism analyzes cities as macro-scale systems, this study focuses on neighborhood street networks as critical units of resource flow, applying Kennedy's indicator framework to a finer-grained assessment of streets as metabolic conduits. Focusing on Amman, Jordan, the study dissects seven key metabolic flows (e.g., water, energy, waste) at the street level, adapting methodologies from Rotterdam's neighborhood-scale metabolic analysis. This approach reveals how hyper-localized flows interact with environmental stressors such as water scarcity, extreme heat, and limited green infrastructure. By comparing four distinct typical neighborhoods in the city, the study identifies disparities in flow efficiency tied to urban design, offering targeted strategies to enhance resilience. The research's goal is to generate actionable strategies for enhancing urban infrastructure by mapping resource flows and proposing interventions. Ultimately, aiming to develop a scoring system that quantifies the impact of each flow within cities studied, and complemented by a survey to understand the local's perspective to identify analytically, flows and elements that enhance the city's metabolism and environmental stresses.