Azerbaijan, Baku, July 12 / Trend U. Ismayilova /
One of the most important steps in resolving issues of urban development in Azerbaijan may be the adoption of town-planning code and a number of priority laws, "Regional Development of Great Baku" project head Novruz Eldarli said.
"It is unreal to speak and try to solve some problems of urban development without an appropriate legislative base", he said.
He said that Azerbaijan should adopt a number of legislative acts to control the urban development process in modern cities. Today Azerbaijan has only one law "Principles of Town-Planning", although it is necessary to adopt the laws on 'General plan', 'Land', 'Rules of development of the city' others.
He said that Azerbaijan must have its own code and its laws, in which all the fundamental positions of town-planning must be indicated.
"The state must control, manage development and modernize cities even in a market economy," he said.
The project manager also said that the pace and volume of construction in the cities of the country from year to year increase. Town-planning greatly develops in all district centers. The number of places in schools increased ten times. Olympic and sports complexes, health facilities, tourist accommodation facilities, parks, recreational facilities, refurbished theaters and cultural centers are built.
As to the traffic development, a revolutionary change happened here. The pace of development of road network is unique for the entire period of construction in Azerbaijan. However, it is time for a second and even third centers in Baku. One of these centers should be cultural, the other - commercial, the third - administrative and so on.
"There are such plans. A new project will be prepared to optimize the public transport and parking," he said.
Speaking about the construction work in Baku by large foreign companies, he said that American, British, Turkish construction companies operate in Azerbaijan. They construct buildings for specific orders and at specific sites. For example, a large hotel complex and a business center are built at the former site of "Moscow" hotel. Heydar Aliyev center is built upon the project of coryphaeus modern architecture Zaha Hadid. U.S company AECOM designed a building of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan. Moreover, modern hotels are built at the site of the hotels "Azerbaijan" and "Absheron".
He also said that now the population of Baku, according to official statistics, is 2.25 million people, including internally displaced people. This figure increases by 20,000 people annually, and given migrants arriving in the capital by 20,000 people. If this trend remains, in 10 years the population of Baku will increase by another half a million people.