BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. One of the largest urban planning reforms is being implemented in Uzbekistan as the country shifts away from a highly centralized planning system toward a more coordinated model of urban management, said Muhammad Nader, the World Bank Representative for Uzbekistan, Trend reports.
According to Muhammad Nader, Uzbekistan is addressing long-standing gaps between spatial planning and economic investment planning.
Speaking at a panel titled “Two Regions, One Agenda: Lessons on Inclusive Urban Renewal” during the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, he says that planning institutions in the past operated separately, creating coordination challenges.
“For a long time there is a serious discrepancy between spatial planning and economic and investment plans,” he says. “The institutions preparing spatial plans are different from those preparing economic plans and capital investment programs.”
Nader says Uzbekistan now implements a large-scale reform program aimed at integrating these systems.
Planning now takes place simultaneously at national, regional, and district levels, he says. A national plan is in place, regional plans are being rolled out, and district-level plans are under development in 35 of 208 districts, with 17 more expected next year.
He says alignment between national, regional, and district-level planning documents is a key priority of the reform process.
Nader also highlights the creation of a national spatial data system as a major component of the reforms.
“A national spatial information infrastructure is being created,” he says. “The goal is to integrate data from all state institutions into a single geo-platform to improve investment decision-making.”
He adds that the pace of reforms in Uzbekistan is unusually fast compared to other countries.
“In many countries I advise governments to move faster,” he says. “But in Uzbekistan, sometimes I ask them to slow down, because the pace is incredibly high.”
In the mean time, today marks the fourth day of WUF13 in Baku.
The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and Azerbaijani flags also took place.
The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit, featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and sustainable transport.
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.
