BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. In addition to urban planning, master plans for the liberated cities also defined the future development directions and key principles for those urban areas, Ramil Jahangirov, department head at Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, made the remarks during a session titled “Rebuilding Urbanism: How It Created an Innovation Laboratory for Urban Transformation in Azerbaijan,” held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), Trend reports.
According to Jahangirov, the committee cooperated with Chapman Taylor in the preparation of the master plans.
“Work on the cities of Shusha and Jabrayil was carried out jointly. For the cities of Zangilan, Gubadli, and Kalbajar, we worked with SAI Partners. The main objective of this process was to redesign completely destroyed territories and rebuild the cities based on a proper development model,” he said.
He noted that the approach applies not only to cities but also to other residential settlements.
“At the same time, alongside planning, the future development directions and key principles of the cities were also determined,” Jahangirov added.
According to him, each of the cities of Zangilan, Gubadli, and Kalbajar in the Zangazur region was designed in a distinct architectural style.
“However, in all cases, those styles were adapted to the overall appearance of the cities and their natural environment. For example, together with SAI Partners, an Alpine style was selected for Kalbajar. Although such an architectural approach did not exist in the city during the Soviet era, the style appears well-suited to the mountainous terrain and surrounding landscape,” he said.
Jahangirov added that new residential neighborhood projects are already being implemented in Zangilan.
“The main goal of these projects is to ensure the return of people who were forcibly displaced from their native lands years ago. Therefore, the cities are being built in a safe, comfortable, and livable manner. All urban planning standards serve this purpose,” he said.
He noted that the “15-minute city” model and the “green city” approach are currently being implemented in the cities.
“In many areas, the first residential neighborhoods, schools, and kindergartens have already been built or are under construction,” he added.
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 Programme 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.
