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A tale of three cities new urban planning visions along the new Silk Road

date November 7, 2024 | 13:00 - 14:30
place
Voices from Cities - room F
organization
The State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan
country
Azerbaijan
language
Russian
Reference: 
VC-F 13

Summary

While the center of gravity of the world economy has been gradually shifting from the West to the Asia-Pacific region for a couple of decades, the war between Russia and Ukraine has abruptly seen the emergence of new geopolitical dynamics, with implications for connectivity, trade routes, energy transmission projects, and regional conflicts. In particular, South Caucasus and Central Asia countries, traditionally under Russian influence, have had to adapt their politico-economic strategies to the realities of the newly emerging world order. China’s ambitious Belt & Road Initiative and the EU’s plans to extend the Trans-European Transport Network to Azerbaijan and Georgia are expected to bolster these countries’ position as key transportation hubs along the so-called New Silk Road. Dubbed as the “Middle Corridor”, this multimodal route will open up important avenues for both regional and external players to benefit from access to world markets.
The proposed event aims to showcase how the cities of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic, that were architecturally shaped after the 18th century under the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union, have been influenced by very similar rural-to-urban migration trends and demographic displacement, government-driven industrialization processes, top-down urban planning approaches, and mass housing construction practices, and upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s have faced comparable challenges in their transition to an open-market economy. Bolstered by their natural resources, including oil, gas, and minerals, and leveraging their strategic location at the crossroads of major geopolitical regions, these countries have experienced significant economic growth in recent years. Coincidentally, the capital cities of Baku, Tbilisi, and Tashkent have recently unveiled their new master plans, establishing a new vision and urban development strategy for the next two decades.
Considered pivotal nodes in the emerging transportation and economic geography of the region, the new plans appear to have many aspects in common, such as energy efficiency, sustainable use of resources, improved connectivity, and alleviation of traffic congestion through upgraded public transport systems and services, increased green spaces, the realization of ecological corridors, and the preservation of important architectural and cultural heritage. The proposed event “Voices from Cities” will offer an opportunity to share contemporary urban planning approaches and principles that are global but also innovative trends that distinguish them and may offer interesting insights to urban planning practitioners interested in this particular region.

Objectives

Through this event, the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture targets to draw attention to the urban planning concepts, solutions, development projects, and other measures developed for the capital cities in South Caucasus and Central Asia. We believe that such events can go a long way in strengthening partnerships, collaboration, and sharing innovations and experience among the urban planning organizations of the region. The State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture aims to raise awareness of the importance of urban planning and sustainable urbanization aligned with actions of the SDGs, the NUA, and climate change adaptation measures in neighboring countries and worldwide. We aim to contribute to the facilitation and acceleration of united actions in strengthening institutional capacity in the fields of urban planning and urban governance, showcasing innovative urban development practices in the capital cities of the region, namely Baku, Tbilisi, and Tashkent, and promoting policy dialogues fostering the transition to resilient and sustainable urban futures through engagement of governmental actors and development partners on the way to WUF13.

Session panelists

Panelist
Role
Organization
Country
Mr. Read Gasimov
Baku General Directorate for Architecture and Urban Planning
The State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Mr. Kakha Kaladze
Mayor of Tbilisi
Tbilisi City Hall (Tbilisi Municipality)
Mr. Ilgar Isbatov
Deputy Chariman
The State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Mr. Eldar Azizov
Head of Baku City Executive Power
Baku City Executive Power
Mr. Shavkat Umurzakov
Head of Tashkent City Administration
Tashkent City Administration