Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), in partnership with the Van Leer Foundation, has launched the Urban95 Studio project, which aims to integrate the perspectives and needs of young children and caregivers into academic education and practice related to urban planning and design, while strengthening the role of universities in developing more inclusive urban solutions that respond to the needs of children and families.

During a meeting held at the University, the project's components and implementation phases were discussed in the presence of JUST Vice President Professor Ahmad Al-Ajlouni, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design Professor Ahmad Freewan, and the project team from the Faculty, alongside Farah Jadallah, Representative of the Van Leer Foundation in Jordan, and members of the Foundation's team.

Al-Ajlouni emphasized the importance of the project in strengthening the connection between academic education and the real-world challenges facing cities and communities. He noted that the project aligns with the University's commitment to applied and multidisciplinary education, while reinforcing its role in community engagement and the development of innovative and sustainable solutions.

The project aims to develop a multidisciplinary educational model that connects academic knowledge with practical application and real urban challenges, enabling students to apply Urban95 principles and develop solutions that respond to the needs of young children in their early years and their caregivers.

The project includes the development of a multidisciplinary Urban95 Elective Course, alongside an applied Urban95 Design Studio, where students will work on real sites and urban challenges in collaboration with municipalities, translating theoretical knowledge and principles into practical and implementable urban proposals and solutions.

The project will also establish a Child-Friendly Cities Learning & Collaboration Hub at the University. The Hub will serve as a platform bringing together students, faculty members, municipalities, and project partners to support multidisciplinary learning, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and develop ideas and practices that can be applied within Jordanian cities.

Prof. Freewan said that the Urban95 Studio project provides students with an opportunity to apply their engineering and design knowledge to real urban challenges and to work within a multidisciplinary environment to better understand the needs of young children and caregivers and translate those needs into practical and applicable solutions.

For her part, Farah Jadallah, Representative of the Van Leer Foundation in Jordan, said that the Urban95 Studio project represents an investment in the next generation of professionals who will play a role in planning and designing the cities of the future. She noted that integrating the perspectives of young children and caregivers into university education helps move Urban95 principles from knowledge into practice and builds the capacities needed to develop cities that are more inclusive and responsive to the needs of children and families.

The project aspires to establish a sustainable academic model that contributes to preparing a generation of professionals capable of integrating the needs of young children and caregivers into urban planning and design. It also seeks to strengthen the role of universities in developing knowledge and practical urban solutions, supporting the transition toward more inclusive and child- and family-friendly cities across Jordan.

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