BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. UN-Habitat and Central Asian countries are discussing the Middle Corridor as an opportunity to attract attention to the region, Katja Schaefer, Inter-regional Advisor for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at UN-Habitat, said during a session titled "New Capitals and New Cities of Central Asia. Water-Sensitive Urban Planning and Housing for Climate Resilience" within the framework of WUF13, Trend reports.
"We had long discussions in Astana about the formation of the city and what lessons have been learned over the past 30 years. It seems to me that these are precisely the questions that inevitably arise when we see architectural projects, visionary concepts of the future, and rapidly growing megacities. All of these are challenges for which humanity has yet to find answers. I also think it is important to reflect on how a polycentric approach to the development of cities and settlements can work in countries like Kazakhstan, with its vast territory and relatively small population, in contrast to the rapidly growing Uzbekistan. We are witnessing completely different urbanization scenarios. The question arises: how can new cities respond to these challenges?" Schaefer said.
According to her, the Middle Corridor is also being actively discussed as an opportunity to attract attention to the region, create new jobs, and attract financial capital.
Meanwhile, today Baku is hosting the final day of WUF13.
On the first day of the forum, a ministerial meeting on the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, women’s and civil society assemblies, business sessions, and discussions on urban well-being took place. The forum also featured a flag-raising ceremony for the UN and Azerbaijan.
The second day of the forum was marked by the first-ever Leaders’ Summit. On this day, high-level discussions were held on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban sustainability. Also, as part of WUF13, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated, presented as a key platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
The third day of WUF13 was also marked by an extensive program of events. Discussions on this day covered topics such as the global housing crisis, the creation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence and urban governance, “green” urbanization, social equality, and sustainable transportation.
One of the highlights of the third day was the signing of a sister-city agreement between the Azerbaijani city of Shusha and the Turkish city of Trabzon.
The fourth day of WUF13 featured an extensive program of events dedicated to the themes of urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban development, housing policy, and sustainable management.
On the fifth day of the forum, discussions continued on the global housing crisis, the creation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, the use of artificial intelligence in urban management, “green” urbanization, and social equality.
One of the key events of the Cities Forum of the United Nations Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), held on the fourth day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the “Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA Forum on Smart Cities Resilient to Climate Change.”
Also, for the first time in WUF history, the “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnership and Decision-Making” was held at the initiative of Azerbaijan.
The WUF13 Forum, dedicated to the theme “"Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities", brought together governments, international organizations, experts, and civil society representatives to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development. More than 40,000 people from 182 countries registered to participate in the forum.
