Efficiency of the Settlement Influence by Settlement Patterns at the Zaatari Camp, Jordan

Abstract

Population displacement theory concerns settlements as a form of sociocultural action rather than a passive reaction to a sudden influx of refugees. The literature suggests that formal camp planning affects the efficiency of services, infrastructure, safety, and the health of refugees. The present study explains spatial patterns at the Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp in North Jordan, Al-Mafraq, and the shifted emerging patterns and their influence on the efficiency of the settlement. The objectives of the study are first, to identify the influence of spatial settlement patterns on mobilizers’ reachability, which reflects the efficiency of the settlement; and second, to identify the influence of spatial shifts on the efficiency of the camp. Face-to-face interviews with camp mobilizers explained the shifted settlement patterns and their influence on mobilizers’ reachability to the residents. A cluster-stratified random sample was used to collect quantitative data through a structured questionnaire. Next, linear logistic regression and one-way analysis of variance tests were utilized to test the influence of the emerging settlement patterns on the total efficiency of the settlement. Spatial settlement patterns specifically affect accessibility and communication, while infrastructure and safety are unaffected. To increase accessibility to services and efficiency of communication between refugees and mobilizers, planners should consider emerging sociocultural patterns.