Client’s challenge

As the winner of the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge, Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) launched the Amman is Listening initiative to transform how residents engage with their city. The challenge was to build a participatory, open data platform that would better capture residents’ needs, strengthen feedback loops on municipal services, and support Amman’s smart city ambitions.

The broad objectives of the Amman is Listening platform were:

• Enable real-time feedback on city services

• Guide Amman’s smart transition and future investments

• Cover all 22 city neighborhoods, ensuring every resident’s voice is heard

• Contribute to improved service provision and crisis management through citizen-generated data

The higher level goals were to increase trust in GAM, civic participation and a sense of belonging to the city; increase citizens’ access to essential services by foot; and improve urban resilience and city response to crisis.

Approach

Delivery was structured around a five-month intensive development cycle, relying on close collaboration between GAM, Siren, UNDP and Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT). The work focused on both technological innovation and human-centred design, ensuring the Amman is Listening platform reflected the needs of Amman’s residents. 

GAM and PSUT actively participated in sprint reviews, while Siren led on UI/UX design and development of both mobile (iOS/Android) and web applications. The platform is organised around three main pillars:

1. Events

• Discover all events organized by GAM

• Citizens can rate events, share feedback, and upload photos

• Event suggestions by citizens and businesses (subject to GAM approval)

2. Strategic projects

• Regular updates from GAM on major projects

• Citizens can share feedback and ideas directly

3. 15-minute walk map

• GIS-based interactive map of facilities, services, and businesses within walking distance

• Citizens can add or update places, with navigation and contact details provided

• Additional functionalities include community polls, surveys, and filtering tools to personalise user experiences. 

Technological innovations

• Next-generation infrastructure: the platform adopted RKE2, a secure Kubernetes distribution ensuring high availability and performance

• Open-source foundation: built entirely on open-source components, eliminating license costs, ensuring government ownership of the codebase, and maximising flexibility

• Accessibility by design: adjustable font sizes, brightness, and contrast make the platform usable for people with disabilities, while event and project pages provide information on disability-friendly access (wheelchair access, elevators, escalators)

Outcomes

Amman is Listening represents a leap forward in urban governance and citizen participation. By translating resident-driven data into actionable insights, the platform not only improves service delivery in Amman but also provides a scalable model for neighbouring cities. It is a critical step toward a cleaner, smarter and more inclusive urban future.

• Delivery of bilingual (Arabic & English) mobile and web applications within five months

• Enhanced interactive features, including a searchable events map, G2C communication channels, and detailed project pages

• Enhanced data collection for GAM, enabling evidence-based service optimisation and planning capabilities

• Stronger resident–municipality feedback loops, ensuring municipal services are more responsive, inclusive, and transparent