Saida Mirziyoyeva pledges accountability as Tashkent residents push back on overdevelopment

Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, has pledged accountability in response to public outcry over unchecked development in Tashkent, as residents push back against the conversion of public spaces into commercial and residential structures.

Mirziyoyeva visited the Lolazor neighborhood in Tashkent's Mirabad district today, a site emblematic of a city-wide issue where green spaces, playgrounds, and sports facilities are being demolished to make way for "modern" neighborhood centers. These new buildings often house the neighborhood committee only on the ground floor, with the remaining floors typically used for other purposes. Despite resident objections, prosecutors, courts, and other authorities have frequently found no legal infractions, and developers have at times threatened legal action against those who protest.

Resident Yevgeniya Muminova had previously highlighted the situation in Lolazor. She noted that the planned building, according to its technical passport, would be 27.5 meters tall, equivalent to a nine-story structure. Muminova stated that no public discussions were held, and the permit was issued based on a city kengash (council of people's deputies) meeting on January 21, 2026, attended by district mayor's office officials and only one resident representative.

Muminova further detailed that the Mirabad district prosecutor's office found no violation in the construction of a multi-story building under a permit issued for the reconstruction of a single-story structure. Residents' complaints regarding the legality of building a parking lot on a children's playground received no substantive response from prosecutors, who merely confirmed a construction permit had been obtained. Residents are now demanding a review of both the land allocation for parking and the legal basis for erecting a high-rise in a residential area.

"The authorities promised us more green spaces, play areas for children, sports grounds for adults, and even a swimming pool in every district. Why, instead, are we again seeing multi-story buildings go up on every scrap of land? We want a sports area and a green space — not a building with a parking lot!" Muminova emphasized.

Mirziyoyeva confirmed these reports, stating, "Trees planted by residents were brutally destroyed here, and a business center was planned for the site of a children's playground." She acknowledged the public's frustration, writing, "Tashkent residents are right to be outraged by construction work that is destroying their own courtyards, playgrounds, and sports grounds."

She stressed that "Urban spaces set aside for people's needs should be used only for that purpose — not for building offices or residential housing."

In response, Mirziyoyeva announced that the Prosecutor General's Office would conduct an inventory of similar sites across Tashkent. "It's essential to verify the legality of the construction permits issued, compliance with urban planning regulations, and respect for residents' rights. And if violations are uncovered, those responsible must be held accountable — including through imprisonment," she declared.

Prosecutors are already investigating the Lolazor project. Residents have reported that another plot in the same neighborhood has since been fenced off, with its children's playground also disappearing. Two courtyards in the neighborhood had already been built over previously.

Photos from Mirziyoyeva's visit show her accompanied by several officials, including Tashkent city prosecutor Anvar Urmonov; Komil Allamjonov, her independent adviser and the Presidential Administration's representative in the United States; Aziz Azimov, first deputy head of the Presidential Administration's Department of Public Safety and Rule of Law; and Bakhtiyor Rakhmonov, the first deputy mayor of Tashkent for construction, barrier-free environment, communications development, ecology, and greening.