When my flatmate and I were looking around for apartments, many homes were accessible from these staircases, and we could admire these houses whenever we had to stop to take a break! More people are able to live in the city because of its tight-knit design around these hilly staircases, making for the bustling Amman that we all know and love today.
The main challenge here is water. Since there is not a lot of rain in Jordan, the country is in a water crisis where there is a very strict water schedule for residents. For instance, every week, the inhabitants of houses and apartment complexes are given a finite water supply for that week. If a person runs out, then they are out of luck until the next water refill. This was definitely a challenge for me to adjust to when I first moved here. My school told me how I should keep showers around three minutes long and insisted that showers every day were not necessary. When I lived with my host family, we never ran out of water, luckily. However, living on my own and under quarantine (and in the house all day), there were many times we ran out of water, and one time my flatmate and I were out of water for a full day.
The steep streets deter people from walking or biking, so many people have adapted to cars. Car sharing apps like Uber and Careem are used a lot in Jordan, and these help people who either do not have a car or who are unable to drive to get around. In terms of water, my friends have given me many tips about how to be more conscious about my water usage.
