The 21st century is increasingly referred to as the era of cities. Today, urbanization extends far beyond the domestic policies of states. The quality of the urban environment directly affects countries’ investment attractiveness, economic resilience, and ability to adapt to climate challenges. Cities are increasingly becoming platforms for international cooperation, technological exchange, and the promotion of new models of sustainable development. In this era, cities are becoming a new diplomacy, a new economy, and a new form of global influence.

It is under these conditions that the 13th session of the World Urban Forum is being held in Baku under the theme “Housing for All: Safe and Sustainable Cities and Communities.” This high-level summit is dedicated to finding solutions to the global housing crisis, which today affects nearly 3 billion people.

It is symbolic that the global discussion on the future of cities is taking place in one of the most dynamically transforming cities of Eurasia. Hosting the forum in Azerbaijan reflects the growing importance of the Caspian–Central Asian region as a new center of infrastructural, logistical, and urban development.

In recent years, this vast region has gradually transformed not only into a major transport hub between East and West, but also into a space of large-scale urban transformation.

Baku itself has become a notable example of modernization of urban infrastructure, transport systems, and public spaces. Additional significance is attached to Azerbaijan’s policy of restoring and modernizing liberated territories, where special attention is paid to the concepts of “smart” and “green” cities.

Most cities and countries of Eurasia are changing rapidly. Central Asia is undergoing one of the largest spatial transformations in recent decades. Population growth, expansion of urban agglomerations, and increasing pressure on infrastructure require entirely new approaches to urban development.

All these processes are taking place against the backdrop of intensifying climate challenges. The drying up of the Aral Sea, water shortages, and rising temperatures are turning urban sustainability into an issue not only of ecology, but also of the region’s long-term security.

According to the International Energy Agency, modern buildings consume about 30% of global energy and account for approximately 26% of worldwide emissions. As a result, by the middle of the century more than 1.6 billion urban residents may face water shortages and climate risks. Close international cooperation in sustainable urban development is becoming an inevitable paradigm.

It is therefore no coincidence that the urban agenda plays a significant role in Uzbekistan’s development. In recent years, the development of urban environments, infrastructure, and housing construction has become one of the key directions of the strategy of New Uzbekistan. In the country, the construction sector is viewed as the foundation of long-term economic growth, sustainability, and quality of life.

The participation of the President of Uzbekistan in the World Urban Forum reflects the country’s desire to integrate more actively into global urban policy. Of particular importance is Uzbekistan’s participation in the Urban Expo international exhibition, where the “New Tashkent” project, the “Yangi Oʻzbekiston” residential areas, and large-scale reforms in urban planning and housing policy are presented.

Urbanization has become one of the key pillars of the strategy of New Uzbekistan. According to forecasts, over the next 15 years the country’s population may increase from 38 million to 50 million people. Under these conditions, the development of cities, housing, and infrastructure is becoming a matter of the state’s strategic future.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has been implementing the largest infrastructure and housing modernization program in the region. According to the Address of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Oliy Majlis and the people of Uzbekistan, 210 million square meters of residential and non-residential buildings have been constructed over the past nine years. In 2025 alone, apartment buildings with a total area of 8.1 million square meters were commissioned, amounting to approximately 135,000 apartments.

Special attention is paid to the development of regions and small towns. Uzbekistan is pursuing a more balanced model of urbanization focused not only on the capital, but also on regional centers. An important element of the new urban policy is the environmental agenda. The country is introducing principles of “green” construction, expanding urban greenery, and implementing the nationwide “Clean Air” project aimed at improving air quality.

The main symbol of the new era of urbanization is the “New Tashkent” project — a modern next-generation megacity with sustainable infrastructure, green zones, digital services, and an advanced transport system. At the first stage, the project provide infrastructure for 600,000 residents, while after full completion the population of New Tashkent may reach 2 million people.

“New Tashkent” demonstrates the country’s development priorities and redefines the very philosophy of urban environments in Central Asia. The reforms initiated by the Leader of Uzbekistan have already transformed the country’s cities into a factor enhancing international competitiveness.

At the forum, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev presented his comprehensive vision of what the cities of the future should become amid rapid urbanization, climate challenges, and technological changes. The Head of State traditionally addressed not only the national agenda, but also pressing issues concerning the global future of the modern urban environment.

One of the key initiatives is the idea of “balanced urbanization,” which implies the harmonious development not only of megacities, but also of small and medium-sized cities. At a time when the world’s largest cities face overloaded infrastructure, housing shortages, and worsening environmental conditions, this approach is becoming increasingly relevant.

Essentially, it is about creating a fairer and more sustainable model of urban development in which opportunities for comfortable living are created not only in capitals, but also in the regions.

Special attention is also given to the digital transformation of urban environments. Particularly relevant is the proposal to establish a network of “smart and safe cities” for the exchange of technologies, modern solutions, and expertise in artificial intelligence, digital governance, and urban security.

Against the backdrop of rapid technological progress, such an initiative appears especially timely and reflects the desire to participate more actively in shaping the new global technological agenda.

Another important topic of the meeting was climate resilience of cities. Amid the intensifying climate crisis, the promotion of “green” urbanization principles and the expansion of environmental standards are becoming increasingly necessary.

All these proposals are especially relevant for Central Asia, where issues of water, ecology, and sustainable urban environments are already becoming matters of the region’s long-term security.

Importantly, Uzbekistan today is not limited merely to discussing global challenges, but is also striving to offer its own solutions. The large-scale reforms being implemented in the country, the construction of “New Tashkent,” and the promotion of modern approaches to urban development are gradually shaping a new image of Uzbekistan — a state ready not only to adapt to global changes, but also to participate in shaping the cities of the future.

That is why it is becoming increasingly evident that in the future Uzbekistan is prepared to become one of the international platforms for seeking constructive solutions to issues of global urbanization, sustainable development, and the formation of a new urban architecture for the 21st century.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the modern world is rapidly entering an era of global competition among cities, infrastructures, and quality of life. In the coming decades, cities will determine economic resilience, investment attractiveness, and the level of technological development of states. Against this background, Central Asia is gradually becoming one of the new spaces of large-scale urban transformation in Eurasia.

By implementing the strategy of New Uzbekistan, our country is already shaping its own model of a modern, sustainable, and people-oriented city of the future. Large-scale reforms, infrastructure development, promotion of the “green” agenda, and the “New Tashkent” project demonstrate the aspiration not only to adapt to global changes, but also to become one of the centers shaping the new urban architecture of the region.

Author: Gulya Nizomova, Leading Research Fellow at the Center for Foreign Policy Studies and International Initiatives.

The material was provided by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Turkmenistan