BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. The location of Alatau (Kazakhstan) at the crossroads of transport routes determines the city's logistics, British architect Harry Dobbs, founder of Harry Dobbs Design Ltd and member of the Alatau City Development Council, 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.
According to him, Alatau leverages its position at the intersection of trade and logistics networks, where the East–West railway corridor connecting China and Kazakhstan passes directly through its center.
"This is precisely what begins to determine the city's logistics — an approach based on enterprise development and capitalising on this advantageous position. A special economic zone framework is being created, providing a clear regulatory, tax, and planning environment to attract agile investments and stimulate economic growth and opportunities. And it is this entrepreneurial approach that shapes the four districts of the city, which are focused on business sectors that complement neighboring Almaty and Konaev, located further north: business, education, logistics and industry, as well as tourism," he said.
According to him, the ambition is for all of this to come together into a single city within an integrated master plan that has already been developed. He also noted that the city is forming along the North–South transport corridor, which connects Almaty with Konaev to the north and leads further to Astana.
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.
