Re branding Amman: a ‘lived’ city's values, image and identity

Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 
Vol. 9, 1, 49–65
62
Khirfan and Momani 
However, the GAM-organized centennial 
parade triggered debate among Ammanis. 
Opposition centered around its inaccurate 
representation of Amman as uninhabited before 
1909 and against its costs, which many argued 
should have been used for much needed city 
projects and services ( Assawsana, 2009 ; Jor1, 
2009 ). GAM also launched a website to 
commemorate Amman ’ s centennial,
Stories by 
Ammanis
:
Amman ’ s story is the story of its people
, 
which invited Ammanis to post stories of their 
own experiences of Amman ( Syntax, 2009 ). 
This is of importance because the cultural 
experiences of the city ’ s citizens are intrinsically 
tied to their perception of the city as one 
of the participants in our focus group with 
Amman ’ s citizens (12 December 2010) said 
‘ Amman without people is not Amman; 
Amman is the life, the beat of the street, the 
merchants, the mosque the vegetable shops, 
this is Amman ’ .