Business centers were previously built on land designated for parking in Tashkent, the mayor said.
Many areas previously allocated for parking in Tashkent have subsequently been converted into business centers, said Shavkat Umurzakov, the mayor of the capital. He added that this issue is now under increased scrutiny. At the same time, sites for new parking spaces for 200,000 vehicles have been identified in the city.
Tashkent Mayor Shavkat Umurzakov told UzA that sites have been identified in the capital for the construction of multi-level and underground parking facilities capable of accommodating 200,000 vehicles. These sites will be auctioned off in stages.
According to Umurzakov, the work is being carried out jointly with the National Committee for Urbanization and Sustainable Housing Development. He acknowledged that some of the land previously designated for parking had been previously developed for other purposes.
"Unfortunately, business centers were built on many of the land plots previously allocated for parking. To prevent such mistakes from recurring, we are currently working with the relevant authorities to closely monitor this issue," the mayor stated.
Umurzakov noted that parking is one of three key areas for the development of trade and services in Tashkent, along with the modernization of markets and the creation of 24-hour tourist and lively streets.
Authorities plan to attract private investors to reconstruct 35 state-owned markets and shopping malls. One of the mandatory conditions for investors will be the construction of parking facilities with sufficient capacity.
"The principle uniting all three areas is the same: the state creates the conditions, the investor builds, the quality of services for the population improves, and public interest is ensured by strict discipline and conditions," the mayor emphasized.
Umurzakov also announced that the need for parking infrastructure will be taken into account when implementing the "15-Minute City" concept. When developing master plans for each neighborhood, the authorities intend to calculate in advance the required number of schools, kindergartens, clinics, green spaces, and parking lots based on the population. Only then will construction permits be issued.
According to the mayor, Tashkent's population has already exceeded 3.1 million people, and more than 1 million vehicles travel on the city's roads daily. One of the goals of the "15-Minute City" concept, according to the authorities, is to reduce traffic congestion by placing essential services within walking or cycling distance of homes.
The Tashkent City Hall announced plans to build two-, three-, and six-story parking structures on the sites of former garages back in the spring of 2017, and preliminary designs were also presented. That summer, former Mayor Rakhmonbek Usmanov approved the construction of multi-story parking structures with retail and service centers on the ground floor.
A year earlier, in March 2016, plans were announced to build multi-story parking structures near the airport, the Northern Railway Station, and other locations.
These plans were largely never implemented, and in some locations where multi-story parking structures were planned, other developments, such as residential complexes and business centers, were built.
In February 2023, a special government agency was created to build multi-story parking structures and hand them over to entrepreneurs as ready-made businesses. Multi-story parking structures are expected to be put up for auction online, with a starting price of 10% of the cost price. The presidential decree stated that the first stage would include the construction of at least four such structures in high-traffic areas, which is consistent with the figure announced the day before.
In 2024, Tashkent planned to build at least four seven-story parking structures with 729 spaces each. The price of the spaces was to be determined based on vehicle emissions.