Ahmad is an urban sociologist specialising in urban inequalities. He is also the co-founder of AZHJ, a research consultancy focused on reducing disparities in cities and between cities, which works at the intersection of urban policy, governance, and research, with a focus on the Global South.
Previously, Ahmad led climate action, urban resilience, and smart transition efforts at the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), leveraging urban data to align municipal strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). His work integrated high-impact research and policy advocacy, enhancing urban services and infrastructural access while mainstreaming inclusive urban planning terminologies.
Ahmad has also held other positions at GAM, such as the Sherpa of Amman at the Mayors Migration Council (MMC), where he engaged in global discussions around urban migration and the Mayor’s Rapporteur for five main portfolios, covering climate change and urban resilience. He also co-led the 'Amman is Listening project', a Global Mayors Challenge 2021 project sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies, where he developed an open-data participatory platform from innovative simulated maps to improve public engagement, access to urban services, and crisis response post the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ahmad has authored and co-authored several works on climate, resilience, displacement, gender, mobility, informal economies, and socio-spatial inequalities. Notable publications include the 'Gender Action Plan for Equitable Mobility in Amman' with FES and 'Metropolitan Amman: Comprehensive Climate Plans' in collaboration with the World Bank.
Ahmad holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Jordan and an MSc in Inequalities and Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Cities are never neutral; they embody systems of power and inequality. Yet, they are also the stage where social change becomes possible. How we design, govern, and experience urban spaces determines whether they entrench structural inequalities or cultivate justice. I believe in the power of linking space to justice efforts—when we do, we can reshape cities into places where opportunity, resilience, and belonging are not the exception but the norm.Ahmad Abu Hussien