Business district to be created in Baku
By Nazrin Gadimova
The Central Business District is supposed to be established in Baku in accordance with the Greater Baku Regional Development Plan project.
This news was announced by the coordinator of the project and Head of the Baku State Project Institute Ilgar Isbatov.
He said the suggestions include creation of two alternative sub-centers on the territory of Sabunchi and Binagadi districts and creation of an ecological corridor between the Boyukshor Lake and the Caspian Sea.
Moreover, in accordance with these proposals, Baku's National Seaside Park should be enlarged to cover 70-100 meters towards the sea from the Shikhov beach to the Zykh settlement.
At the same time, an urban zone of protection should be created in the city center to protect its historical monuments. Isbatov also said Bibiheybat settlement should be developed as a modern area.
Azerbaijan and the World Bank signed a loan agreement for the development of the Greater Baku Regional Development Plan in 2007. The plan, which was designed for a period of up to 2030 and beyond, was developed through coordination with Baku State Project Institute.
Under the Plan, the city's streets and roads will be wider by hundreds of kilometers, the number of polluted lakes will be significantly reduced, and several parks and public gardens will be created in an area of 34,000 hectares.
The project drafts were prepared jointly with experts in economic development (US specialist Kay Miller), environmental issues (the Spanish company Eptisa), and urban planning (Italian Angelo de Urso).
The Plan envisions the future development of the city and 11 surrounding areas, Sumgayit, the country's third largest city, and the entire Absheron Peninsula till 2030.