WUF13

WUF13

Anar Guliyev: Urbanization is not a new concept for us, it is part of our identity

Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture Anar Guliyev

19 May 2026 17:49 (UTC +04:00)

The Turkic world is one of the world’s oldest urban civilizations, Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture Anar Guliyev said during the High-Level Urban Dialogue of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, APA reports.

He noted that the region’s historic cities were once among humanity’s greatest achievements in trade, science, astronomy, and architecture: “Today, we are gathered here in Baku, where the Inner City is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Urbanization is not a new concept for us. It is part of our identity. However, what unites us today is not only our shared heritage. We are also united by common challenges. Our region is urbanizing rapidly. Over the past 10 years, the urban population in Central and Western Asia has increased by approximately 35–45 percent. This rapid urbanization creates serious problems and requires urgent measures. Our cities are on the front line of both climate change and high seismic risks. Therefore, the question of ‘how will we house people safely, affordably, and sustainably?’ is not abstract for us.”

Ashraf Mehdiyev

Anar Guliyev Azerbaijan WUF13 Organization of Turkic States OTS urbanization Turkic world sustainable cities urban planning Baku UNESCO Inner City climate change seismic risks Central Asia Western Asia

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