“Certain areas in Kok-Zhar, along the river, are currently designated for construction in the active project”
The Bishkek city administration has presented a master plan for public discussion, developed by architects from the Research Institute of Prospective Urban Development located in St. Petersburg.
According to this master plan, a significant expansion of parks and green spaces is planned in the capital. However, Bishkek is facing a shortage of available land. Urbanist and ecologist Dmitry Pereyaslavsky commented on whether such ambitious greening plans for the city are feasible for Vesti.kg.
“The same areas in Kok-Zhar and along the river are indicated in the master plan, which are currently intended for construction. When discussing the increase in parks, it is necessary to consider the population growth as well. During the Soviet era, park zones were designed based on a population of about 600,000 people, whereas now Bishkek has approximately 1.12 million residents, and possibly more. The population density has significantly increased, raising doubts that all city residents will be provided with enough green spaces, which, unfortunately, continue to decrease,” he emphasized.
New parks can be created within the city limits before its expansion.
“Previously, agricultural lands were located here. However, the demand for parks among the population is very high. For example, in the western part of the city, there is a lack of greenery, which is also reflected in the documents. Most residents of this part of the city do not have convenient access to parks and are forced to use public or private transport to visit them. The authorities talk about the concept of ‘15-minute accessibility,’ but in practice, this will only increase the burden on the roads. It is necessary to move from declarations to real actions,” noted Dmitry Pereyaslavsky.
Additionally, the new master plan anticipates an increase in Bishkek's population to 2 million by 2050. This document provides for the expansion of green areas from 590 to 2110 hectares, as well as the creation of 1520 hectares of new parks and squares.
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