Abstract

More than 33% of the Earth’s land surface is considered arid or semi-arid regions, whereas drylands occupy up to 41.3% of the land surface. Increasing urbanization and technological advances cause a disconnection between the built environment and native nature. Also, although species of arid regions are characterized by a high degree of adaptation, they are rapidly moving toward extinction. Since one’s perception of nature determines the way people interact with their surroundings, the perceptions of young Jordanians aged 18-39 was explored, and this age group is the largest in Jordan. This study was conducted using a survey. The target group was recruited in Jordanian universities via social media pages to allow the maximum participation of the targeted age group. What forms of nature the young individuals preferred and what forms were accepted, tolerated, and rejected in urban areas were examined. It was found that the participants are drawn to humid and non-arid nature, that is to nature that is generally non-existent in their urban surroundings.

Key words: Urban nature, nature perception, arid nature, young urban dwellers.