AZE.US
Baku is expected to shift to a polycentric development model by 2040, distributing the capital’s growth among central, regional and local hubs connected by transport infrastructure and green networks.
Anar Guliyev, chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture, outlined the approach at the Second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum in Baku.
The model is part of the Baku Master Plan through 2040. Instead of concentrating most jobs, services and transport flows in a single city center, the plan calls for several interconnected urban hubs.
What the New Model Is Intended to Change
Regional and local centers are to be supported by upgraded transport infrastructure and green corridors. The aim is to promote more balanced development across Baku’s districts, reduce pressure on the central city and bring jobs and services closer to residential neighborhoods.
Guliyev said 20-year development plans had already been prepared for most Azerbaijani cities.
He said authorities view master planning not merely as a way to regulate construction but as an integrated system linking housing, infrastructure, mobility, economic activity, the environment and quality of life.
The announced framework describes the long-term strategy. Officials have not specified timelines for individual transport, housing or public-space projects associated with Baku’s transition to a polycentric model.
AZE.US