UCA Hosts Workshop on Sustainable Urban Development
UCA, in collaboration with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Union of Architects of Kyrgyzstan (UAK), hosted a workshop on integrated planning and design for sustainable and resilient urban development at its office in Bishkek. Over 70 specialists and experts, including employees of the State Agency for Architecture, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Kyrgyzstan, Naryn Municipality and Town Council, architects, urban planners, and academia, gathered to attend this learning and experience-sharing event. The workshop was part of the Naryn Urban Resilience Programme (NURP), funded by the Swiss Government and the Aga Khan Development Network, aimed at enhancing Naryn town's resilience to external environmental and economic shocks.
Workshop participants delved into urban planning concepts and methodologies, exploring their application at national, regional, and local levels, with a specific focus on sites within Naryn town as case studies.
At a special ceremony to honour workshop participants, H.E. Olivier Bangerter, Ambassador of Switzerland to Kyrgyzstan, and Dr Barkat Fazal, Diplomatic Representative of AKDN in Kyrgyzstan, presented certificates of achievement to the workshop participants who successfully completed the course.
Ms Zulaika Bektemirova, an experienced architect and urban planner, shared her experience from participation in the workshop: "The workshop provided us with a meticulously detailed city master plan, offering a comprehensive blueprint for our projects. Its structured approach equips us with actionable schemes that we can readily implement in our urban development initiatives,".
The event also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Central Asia and the Union of Architects of Kyrgyzstan, confirming their mutual commitment to ongoing capacity building and policy dialogue. This collaboration aims to address current urban planning practices, legislative frameworks, and strategies for achieving integrated, sustainable, inclusive development, while enhancing the resilience of cities and towns in Kyrgyzstan.
