The functional role of cities such as Ganja, Shamkir, and Zangilan should be determined in Azerbaijan's regional development policy, Katja Schafer, Regional advisor of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), said during her speech at he " 3rd Azerbaijan National Urban Planning Forum" held in Khankendi, APA-Economics reports.
She noted that Azerbaijan must pay special attention to managing regional development with a functional approach in the phase of urbanization and globalization: "As a part of policy, it is important to correctly identify Azerbaijan’s functional areas, taking globalization processes into account. The roles of cities like Sumgayit, Ganja, and Shamkir relative to each other must be clarified."
The UN official also emphasized that regional discussions should focus on identifying priority corridors that can drive development, noting that these corridors could stimulate economic revitalization in rural areas.
According to Katja Schafer, Azerbaijan's economy currently faces high youth unemployment and sectoral imbalance. Therefore, the government’s policy should focus on strengthening value chains and promoting agricultural innovations: "The main issue is to turn these challenges into opportunities. We need to look at value chains, strengthen innovation in agriculture, and improve logistics. The process of delivering products from rural areas to cities can be a key tool to increase agricultural productivity."
She added that Azerbaijan’s suburban and intermediary areas require special attention in planning: "Green zones and blue zones—meaning water bodies and ecosystems—must be preserved in these areas. Otherwise, these buffer zones will be destroyed. Serious integration of these areas into master plans is essential."
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