BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. Ecological sustainability, climate resilience, and efficient transit networks operate as foundational pillars within the regulatory framework of the Baku City Master Plan 2040, Riad Gasimov, Head of the Baku Main Department for Architecture and Urban Planning, said, Trend reports.
He made the remark during a specialized session dedicated to the capital’s developmental blueprint, held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.
According to him, Baku, in alignment with other major coastal cities globally, confronts acute environmental and climate-induced challenges.
"Consequently, the Master Plan undergoes engineering based strictly upon the principles of green urbanism, high-tier energy efficiency, ecological restoration, and sustainable mobility. The document outlines a comprehensive pipeline of targeted measures geared toward scaling municipal green spaces, lowering aggregate environmental impacts, promoting distributed renewable energy solutions, and systematically optimizing air quality metrics alongside the broader urban ecosystem," Gasimov explained.
The department head reported that Azerbaijan, in close collaboration with international partners, actively drives the enforcement of standardized green building codes and resource-utilization efficiency parameters across new developments.
Gasimov concurrently pointed out that another critical focus of the Master Plan lies in the creation of a fully integrated multi-modal transportation matrix.
"Securing the sustainable development of the capital remains fundamentally dependent upon reinforcing public mass transit networks, optimizing seamless connectivity lines across diverse transportation modes, and mitigating traffic congestion bottlenecks. Our ultimate target remains the engineering of a highly balanced urban environment where citizens spend significantly less time in transit, experiencing maximum comfort. The Baku Master Plan 2040 stands as a strategic constitution designed to anchor the city’s future expansion firmly upon sustainability, continuous technological innovation, and human-centric design," the planning chief concluded.
Today marks the fifth 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.
One of the highlights of the third day was the signing of a sister-city memorandum between the Azerbaijani city of Shusha and the Turkish city of Trabzon.
The fourth day of WUF13 featured a broad program of events dedicated to urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban development, housing policy, and sustainable governance.
One of the important events of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Cities Forum, held on the fourth day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the “Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA Smart Climate-Resilient Cities Forum.”
Also, for the first time in WUF history and at Azerbaijan’s initiative, the “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnership and Decision-Making” was held.
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.
