by Bushra Obeidat and Hamzeh Miqdady
ABSTRACT
The preservation of the industrial heritage has been a common practice in a number of cities worldwide. These buildings/sites represent the biggest and most visible symbols of the great industrial past, and serving as monuments of social and cultural identities. The aim of this paper is to preserve and sustain of traditional watermills in Wadi Orjan, Jordan. The mills are spread along Orjan’s valley and they were part of the production cycle, which is mainly associated with wheat grinding. This heritage, if rediscovered, conserved and enhanced, may play an essential role in the area’s socio-economic regeneration. The ongoing decisions on the protection of industrial heritage are taken by various actors, including the government, the private sector, and the local community. In this sense, this paper attempts to rationalize the decision-making process to preserve the industrial heritage. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to establish a theoretical basis for decision-making. Twenty-six local professionals participated in the analysis to evaluate their views on the relative importance of different factors affecting the decision making. Expert Choice software and Qualtrics survey platform was used to conduct the questionnaire.
