BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. Reconstruction efforts in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions are being carried out based on a unified territorial development vision, Anacláudia Rossbach, executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), said during an event held as part of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Trend reports.
Speaking at a panel titled “Cities at the Center of Connectivity: Urban Reconstruction and Regional Cooperation,” Rossbach said urban planning should be carried out alongside the development of entire territories rather than focusing solely on individual cities.
She noted that when connections between urban and rural areas are considered at the earliest stages of planning, rural communities gain access to markets and services, while cities benefit from food systems, water resources and labor supplied by surrounding regions.
According to Rossbach, transport corridors should serve not only as transit routes but also as pillars for broader territorial development.
“When planning cities, we must plan entire territories,” she said. “When investing in transport corridors, investment should also be directed toward the communities located along those routes — their housing, markets, services, land and livelihoods.”
Rossbach emphasized that this approach is particularly important in post-conflict settings.
“Azerbaijan’s reconstruction and redevelopment efforts in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions are facing these challenges on a large scale,” she said.
Recalling her visit to the region during the National Urban Forum held last October, Rossbach said one of the most impressive aspects was the integration of housing, public services, digital connectivity and green energy networks within a single territorial framework.
“The goal here is not simply to rebuild cities and towns separately, but to restore a functional human geography,” she added.
Rossbach also stressed that communities located along regional transport, energy and digital corridors should be viewed not merely as transit zones, but as assets worthy of long-term investment.
WUF13 is being held in Baku from May 17 to 22 under cooperation between UN-Habitat and the Azerbaijani government.
Held under the theme “Housing for All: Safe and Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements,” the forum brings together governments, experts, communities and international partners to discuss housing and sustainable urban development challenges.
In the mean time, the third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) is underway in Baku.
On the first day, a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a roundtable of ministers, assemblies of women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban well-being were held. A ceremony for raising the flags of the United Nations and Azerbaijan also took place within the framework of the forum.
The second day of the forum drew attention with the first-ever Leaders Summit. High-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience were held that day. At the same time, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated within the framework of WUF13. The pavilion was presented as an important platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities,” the forum brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.
