Around 140 hectares of new public parks are planned for Tashkent, with at least 30% of areas to be allocated for green space, stated Chairman of the National Committee for Sustainable Urbanization and Housing Market Sherzod Kudbiyev at a press conference on March 5.
According to him, these standards are enshrined in the highest regulatory acts.
"Currently, according to the Building Codes and Regulations, the ratio of green space is only 25%. Now it must be 30% green space. This is enshrined in presidential decrees and Cabinet of Ministers resolutions," he said.
"Furthermore, in addition to these 30% of green spaces, there are plans to create approximately 140 hectares of public parks," Kudbiyev added.
Shortage of Parks
Kudbiyev said that Tashkent currently had 893 hectares of public parks.
"I mean proper public parks, not amusement parks. That is, parks where people can come, take a stroll with a child in a stroller, with their spouse or friends, just get some fresh air, and leave without paying a dime," he said.
According to him, the actual rate of green spaces is significantly lower than the global norms.
"If you calculate per capita, in square meters, it's 2 square meters. The standard should be 17-19 square meters per person. But in reality, it's almost ten times less," Kudbiev noted.
High-Rise Development and Green Spaces
The principle of concentrating density in specific areas is applied in development planning, he addde.
"The idea is that taller buildings can be permitted in a large area because the density is concentrated in one place, freeing up more space for green spaces. This is how it works in the whole," he said.
He emphasized that the minimum ratio of green spaces should be 30%. He explained that the general plan only defines the city's development limits. A detailed master plan shall then be developed for each territory.
According to him, the implementation of such projects will proceed in phases. "This is being done in phases: first, the first phase—schools, kindergartens, and housing—is built, then the park is created, and then the next phase—all according to a single plan," he said.
Compact City Development
Kudbiyev also explained that upward development implies more compact development.
"When I say the city should develop upward, I mean the following: Tashkent should not endlessly expand toward Yangiyul, Akhangaran, or Bostanlyk. If that were the case, we would never achieve the concept of a 15-minute city," he stated.
"For people to be able to reach key landmarks within 15 minutes, the city must develop upward," the committee head added.
He concluded that high-rise development must take into account the infrastructure's capabilities.
