Background of the General Plan until 2050
The general plan is a strategic document that outlines the future development of Bishkek for several decades ahead. This plan includes key directions for construction, transportation routes, green spaces, and infrastructure. It regulates where residential complexes, roads, parks, and social facilities can be built, and where construction is not permitted.Initially, the development of the general plan was to be carried out by the Japanese company Nikken Sekkei Ltd, which proposed the concept of the document. According to several information sources, the government planned to finance the project through extrabudgetary funds.
However, later the cabinet of ministers replaced the Japanese specialists with a Russian organization.
The city's mayor explained in August of this year: "We began cooperation with the Japanese company Nikken Sekkei Ltd, but after analyzing their experience in developing general plans, we had doubts, despite their reputation in the architectural field. As a result, we signed a contract with the 'Research and Design Center for the General Plan of St. Petersburg.'
Information about the cost of services from the foreign company is not disclosed by the city hall.
How can residents express their opinions?
On October 25, the city hall published the main provisions of the general plan for public discussion. Residents can send their proposals and comments to the email address: [email protected] or submit them in paper form at the city hall's single window located at: Chuy Ave, 166.Who approves the general plan?
Since Bishkek has the status of a city of republican significance, the approval of the general plan is carried out by the cabinet of ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic.Will the general plan itself be available?
The document presented for discussion is not the complete general plan, but rather a preliminary description of it. It contains information about the planned development of the city, diagrams of transportation infrastructure, green zones, business centers, and other elements.The main provisions can be reviewed by following the link.
The general plan itself includes many aspects related to road construction, engineering infrastructure, and other areas. In Kyrgyzstan, this document is not open to the public.
In 2013, public activists attempted to make the general plan, which was in effect until 2025 and adopted in 2006, public. They pointed out that withholding information contributes to corruption. However, the court dismissed their claims, citing the confidentiality of the document for security reasons, according to a resolution from 1996.
Over time, the confidentiality classification is gradually being lifted. In 2014, a decision was made to declassify the graphical representation of the city's zoning according to the general plan until 2025. This scheme is available on the city hall's website.
In response to a request from Kaktus.media regarding which parts of the new general plan will be available to the public, the city hall has not yet responded.
What will happen after the approval of the general plan?
The deputy head of the Bishkek Department of Urban Development and Architecture, Aziret Akimov, reported that after the approval of the general plan, the following should be developed within six months:- Land use and development regulations, which will determine where and what can be built;
- Detailed planning regulations that clarify the provisions of the general plan for specific districts and blocks.
Is the general plan mandatory for implementation?
Not entirely. The general plan sets the direction for the city's development, establishes boundaries, greening norms, and the development of the road network. However, much depends on funding. For example, the new general plan includes renovations, but the timelines and areas for their implementation depend on investors.
