The first meeting of the Working Group was held at the Baku Business Center on June 27, 2019, organized by the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture in order to coordinate the preparation process of the Master Plan of Baku. This Working Group, represented by many ministries, state committees and other relevant government bodies, both at the management and expert level, has a total of about 100 representatives from 38 organizations. The first meeting of the Working Group was chaired by the Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Samir Nuriyev.

The purpose of the Working Group is to enhance the effectiveness of the work of Committee on the development of the Master Plan of the capital, at the instruction of President Ilham Aliyev, to facilitate the exchange of information between government agencies, to integrate a comprehensive approach to the future development of the city.

Opening the meeting, Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture Samir Nuriyev said that the preparation of the Baku Master Plan in two phases in accordance with the leading international practice is underway. In the first phase, the Baku Development Concept and the city's identified development priorities, developed by the Committee with the support of BCG's international strategic consultant, form the basis of the Phase 2 work currently underway. The winner of the open international tender, Baku's Master Plan, was entrusted to the prestigious international city planning and architecture company AS+P in Germany, as well as the Baku State Project Institute, which attracted the partnership as a local partner.

Samir Nuriyev said that, according to world experience, the development of master plans of major cities like Baku will take 3-4 years, but the preparation of the Master Plan of Baku city is expected to be finished by the end of 2020. The Chairman emphasized that the effective cooperation of the relevant government agencies in the form of a working group format to fulfill this responsible and honorable duty within the specified time and in accordance with relevant quality standards is of particular importance:

“The success of the Master Plan will be a significant contribution to the effectiveness of the Working Group, including accuracy and flexibility in the processing of relevant information. In the meantime, we invite all the members of the Working Group to make proposals for strategic projects to be included in the Master Plan. Strategic projects will be developed in the framework of four key development priorities of Baku, which will play a role in the implementation of the Master Plan, and will contribute to the sustainable and systematic development of the city in the short and long term.”

Then BCG Consultants, the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture made a detailed presentation on work principles of Working Group, plans for the next period of time, the formulation of proposals for strategic projects, as well as the following four key priorities for the development of Baku city:

Balanced zoning of the city and the formation of alternative centers along with the traditional center to ensure sustainable development;

Regeneration of the city and the environment, efficient use of land and ensuring comfortable living conditions for the population;

Preservation of the national-cultural heritage and architectural appearance of the city, enrichment of the cultural life of the city;

The gradual transition of the urban economy to the post-industrial period.

After the speeches made, the participants exchanged ideas on the topic and the questions of meeting participants were answered.