The example of the city of Arkadag is already gaining momentum, and there is great interest in the world to learn more about this experience, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Dmitry Shlapachenko said, speaking at an international investment forum held on Friday in the new Turkmen city.

In particular, he said that at the April session of the UN in Geneva, a discussion of the city of Arkadag took place and its presentation, which was presented in the UN system, was highly appreciated.

“We are also pleased to note that in July at the high-level political forum in New York there will be a separate session dedicated to the city of Arkadag. It is organized jointly by the government of Turkmenistan and the UN system,” Shlapachenko said.

He also told the forum delegates about the mission, when, under the overall leadership of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT), the city of Arkadag was visited by representatives of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Development Programme.

The diplomat noted the effective coordination work of this mission and thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan for its support. “We appreciate that the government entrusted us, the UN country team, to visit a new and still under construction city with an assessment mission,” Shlapachenko said.

He added that the results were positive, and "we at the UN see great prospects for working with the government in this new direction for the UN country team."

Speaking about the mission itself, the UN coordinator said that one of its goals was to review the urban planning, construction and management of the city of Arkadag and its impact at the national and local level on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 11 - on inclusive, safe, secure and sustainable cities and communities.

The second goal is to review the progress made and approaches in the phased construction of the city of Arkadag, including the design, materials used and the overall sustainability of the city within the framework of a people-centered smart city methodology.

Third - an overview of the work of the public sector and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in creating a smart city, including recommendations for improvement in future stages of city development, as well as initiatives in the field of future urban development, including digital transformation, investments in the real sector resulting from the introduction of digital and advanced technologies.

Fourth-documenting the best practices and conceptual technological solutions used in the city that contribute to the creation of a modern urban area with smart city functions.

Fifth-identifying areas for future improvement of the smart city approach for Turkmenistan: from city design to construction, including critical components of urban policy, legislation, urban planning and design, and finance. All this, taking into account the lessons learned from the implementation of the Arkadag city project. And finally, the last thing is the preparation of the elements of the Roadmap in order to determine the recommendations of the technical mission.

The mission acknowledged and commended the efforts made to implement the principles of open, safe, resilient and smart sustainable urban neighborhoods and communities.

Shlapachenko noted the mission's conclusion that the choice of location for the city of Arkadag was carefully considered taking into account the wind rose provided by the mountains, improved air quality and natural cooling during the hot season, access to clean and safe water. The effect of the view on the surrounding landscape is also important - ecological protected areas, mountain range and agricultural fields that form the green belt of the city, strategic integration into the system of neighboring cities, villages and settlements, as well as proximity to employment opportunities in the capital Ashgabat, which is supported by well-planned communications and infrastructure corridors.

The UN experts noted that the planning of the city of Arkadag took into account the social aspects of sustainable urban development, including inclusiveness and equality, diversity and cultural heritage, health and well-being, safety and security, education and lifelong learning.

Accessibility for all was also taken into account in the planning and implementation process, with a particular focus on people with disabilities. According to Shlapachenko, an inclusive approach to the surrounding space, housing and urban infrastructure, environmental issues and financing can be scaled across the country and within the sub-region.

The mission visited various residential areas, schools, libraries, theaters and medical facilities and recorded the provision of essential city services using the latest standards and smart technology solutions. Suffice it to mention innovative water purification, as well as investments in electric transport, the UN coordinator in Turkmenistan added.

“The mission's recommendations, including the proposal to develop a joint UN program for the city of Arkadag, were submitted to the government, and we look forward to comments and suggestions from the government and local authorities of the city of Arkadag for future cooperation,” Shlapachenko said.

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