On August 11, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva reviewed the Master Plan for the development of the city of Nakhchivan until 2044.
Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture Anar Guliyev informed the head of state and the First Lady about the new master plan, the goals for the city's future development, and the upcoming work.
It was noted that the master plan was prepared by the State Head Design Institute "Azermemarlayiha" and the international consulting company Chapman Taylor in accordance with the "State Program on Socio-Economic Development of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic for 2023-2027" based on an order from the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture.
The new master plan for Nakhchivan, one of Azerbaijan's oldest cities, developed for the first time during the independence period, defines a unified strategic vision for its spatial development in the long term. The concept is based on the renewal of the city center, expansion of recreational zones, promotion of sustainable mobility, strengthening of residential and social infrastructure, and more effective realization of tourism potential.
One of the main directions of the city's development is the transformation of its central part. To this end, a detailed plan for the central district covering 74 hectares, as well as a new architectural concept for a 12.5-hectare area, was developed while preserving the existing layout within that area. The project envisions turning the city center into a more vibrant, compact, and accessible space. According to the concept, it is proposed to gradually renovate outdated buildings that have no historical value, replacing them with modern multi-story residential and multifunctional buildings, create a new administrative complex in this area, and transform the central square into a human-oriented public space with new landscape design elements and small architectural features. As a result of all these approaches, a modern city center will be formed where residential, work, service, recreational, and public functions will harmoniously complement each other.
During the implementation of the master plan, aimed at making ecological infrastructure an integral part of the city, the existing greening system will be expanded, the area along the Nakhchivanchay River will be integrated into urban life, and new parks, recreation areas, and public spaces will be created there. As a result, it is planned to increase the area of green spaces per capita from 15 to 27 square meters.
The approach to urban mobility is also based on new principles. According to the concept supporting the introduction of sustainable, environmentally friendly transport solutions, the total length of the road and street network will be 188.4 kilometers, and the length of cycling infrastructure will be 122 kilometers. This means that more than 65 percent of the entire road and street network will be adapted for cycling.
The master plan considers Nakhchivan's rich historical and cultural heritage and its favorable geographical position as key advantages determining the city's tourism potential. Along with preserving historical heritage, expanding service areas and improving the quality of the urban environment will enhance the competitiveness of the tourism sector.
The future development of Nakhchivan is planned taking into account the city's growth potential. According to the master plan, during the specified period, the area of residential territory is expected to increase from 1,831 to 2,630 hectares. Thus, the existing city territory is projected to expand by approximately 44 percent, and the population is expected to grow from 97,200 to 130,000 people.
Taking into account population density, it is envisaged to bring the housing stock to 3.9 million square meters. This will provide an average of 30 square meters of living space per person and create conditions for the comprehensive formation of new residential quarters with social, transport, and engineering infrastructure.
Alongside the city's growth, social infrastructure will also expand. Taking into account the services of education and healthcare systems, the capacity of general education institutions will increase to 23,400 places, preschool institutions to 7,800, and hospital beds to 650. It is expected that through the development of services, transport and logistics, industry, construction, tourism, and agricultural sectors, employment will grow by almost 40 percent and reach 78,000 people.
Thus, the city of Nakhchivan, being a strategically important part of the Middle Corridor, will develop by 2044 as a residential space with great potential. The new master plan, which combines the city's historical and cultural heritage with modern urban planning principles, will become a strategic foundation for its development as a sustainable, inclusive, and human-oriented regional center.