Design Workshop Teams with Austrian Tourism Consultants and JCP to Develop Strategic Plan for the Petra Region in Jordan

Plan will focus on long-term sustainability of this UNESCO World Heritage site by outlining preservation of resources and addressing urban growth in the surrounding area

1 September 2010

Denver, CO – Design Workshop, an international landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm with six offices in the U.S. and work spanning the globe, recently announced that it is part of a consortium comprised of Austrian Tourism Consultants (ATC) and JCP, an Italian firm with offices in Amman, Jordan, that is currently preparing a strategic plan for the region surrounding and including the Petra Archaeological Park, a Jordanian national park.

Petra Archaeological Park is a World Heritage site designated by UNESCO and is currently listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is also Jordan's most popular tourist destination. The region contains approximately 132,400 hectares of lands, both public and private, and the cities and towns of Wadi Musa, Taybeh, Rajef, Umm Sayhoun, Beidha and Dlagha.

The regional plan will address efforts to preserve archaeological and biological resources, and will also recommend methods to effectively reconcile the needs of the park with tourism, an essential element of the region's economy. In addition to park and tourism issues, the economic growth generated by the Petra Archaeological Park is also resulting in significant urban growth. As such growth is often unplanned, the consortium is considering ways to diversify the economy and reduce the reliance upon tourism, as well as balance this growth with the limited water resources of the region.

The Petra region is also home to numerous Bedouin tribes. The needs of this population which is largely dependent upon dryland agriculture and pastoralism will also be considered. The consortium will make final recommendations to the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) in March of 2011.

About Design Workshop
Founded in 1969, Design Workshop is an international landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm with six offices in the U.S. and work spanning the globe. The firm has been recognized with over 150 prestigious awards for its work in new communities, urban centers, resorts, public parks, golf courses and residences. The firm's philosophy challenges the project team to equally integrate and balance artistic vision, environmental sensitivity, community values and sound economics to create unique places that stand the test of time. It refers to this approach as DW Legacy Design®.

About Austrian Tourism Consultants
ATC Consultants GmbH (ATC) is a leading Vienna based International consultancy specializing in the management of complex international projects in the fields of tourism development, institutional capacity building, public administration reform and governance. For more than 25 years, ATC has been successfully implementing over 600 complex international projects (currently 30 projects ongoing) in more than 50 countries in all the five continents. ATC has successfully implemented numerous consulting projects funded by UNESCO, the UNWTO, UNIDO, the European Commission, the World Bank, as well as for numerous public and private institutions and corporations in many beneficiary countries.
www.atc-consultants.com

About JCP
JCP srl, Italy, established in 1996, is a consulting group that provides specialist consulting and training services in all spheres of international, donor-funded contracts, particularly, but not limited to the field of project management and procurement, including grant schemes. The company mission is to assure good practice and quality in both the management of and participation in international, donor-funded projects. The company is managed by a small pool of highly qualified, multi-lingual procurement experts, all with strong skills and experience in the management of both small and large-scale procurement projects. The core team has direct work experience within the European Commission and the delivery of procedural training with main Head Quarters in Italy with a Liaison Office in Brussels as well as representative personnel on full time basis in Amman/Jordan.
www.jcpsrl.com