7Hills Skatepark: A Melting Pot for Amman's Local and Refugee Youth

Built in under three weeks in 2014 by Make Life Skate Life, Philadelphia Skateboards, and the Greater Amman Municipality, the 650-square-metre 7Hills Skatepark turned a garbage-strewn lot in downtown Amman into Jordan's first public skatepark. Its ongoing skate program serves children and teens from 17 nationalities, including Syrian, Palestinian, Iraqi, Yemeni, Somali, and Sudanese communities living in Jordan. In 2023, the program logged over 4,400 total participations from 1,709 unique young people, with 42% girls among participants. Weekly classes, a board-loaner system, and a youth leadership program keep the park free and open to anyone.