Residing in the heart of Uzbekistan, the bustling metropolis of Tashkent is home to an estimated five million inhabitants, positioning it as the nation's most populous city and a significant urban center in Central Asia. However, this figure is set to rise dramatically as the city embarks on an expansion project of unprecedented scale. A vast expanse of 20,000 hectares, located just east of Tashkent's current limits, is being meticulously developed to transform the city into a leading metropolis, a project known as New Tashkent.

This urban growth initiative is anticipated to play a pivotal role in generating employment opportunities, attracting investment, and stimulating the economic development of the country. "New Tashkent is poised to become a nucleus for numerous new economic ventures," remarked Christine P. Chan, Principal Urban Development Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in a recent interview.

In 2017, under the leadership of Uzbekistan's newly elected president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, an ambitious economic and social reform agenda was initiated. The nation has set its sights on reducing poverty by half by the year 2026 and aims to elevate its status to an upper-middle-income economy by 2030, with a goal of increasing per capita GDP from $2,200 to $4,000. As part of this comprehensive plan, Uzbekistan has targeted a 60% urbanization rate by 2030, a significant increase from the current figure of just over 50%. The country's economy is heavily reliant on agriculture, mining, textiles, machinery, and food processing, with Uzbekistan being the globe's sixth largest cotton producer and ninth largest gold producer. However, it is not without its challenges; the nation remains largely dependent on regional trade, and unemployment rates hover around 6%.

New Tashkent is envisioned to encompass a wide array of residential units, government offices that will be relocated, university campuses, a library, and a museum. The development will also feature purpose-built innovation clusters aimed at fostering the growth of key industries, while designated tourism zones are intended to draw in visitors. Uzbekistan's rich history along the Silk Road and its cultural heritage already attract a steady stream of tourists, but the government is investing in diversifying its tourism sector to appeal to a broader range of travelers. Among the planned attractions is a $250 million water park and resort complex in New Tashkent. "There is a strong belief that the new capital will act as a magnet for substantial investment, talent, and funding for climate-resilient infrastructure, as well as providing a home for a multitude of emerging industries," Chan stated.

In 2023, Tashkent was ranked 157th out of 173 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index, which assesses various indicators across five categories: stability, health, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. The city's residents grapple with urban stresses that are all too familiar to city dwellers worldwide, including traffic congestion, scarcity of green spaces, the affordability of housing, and subpar infrastructure. Such factors can impede economic growth if residents opt to leave the city, Chan noted. However, Uzbekistan's officials have pledged to make Tashkent one of the top 50 most livable cities globally by 2030, with a vision of accommodating 7.5 million people in a comfortable urban environment.

Plans are underway to enhance the city's electricity, water, and sewage infrastructure, which have been under considerable strain as the city's population has grown. Connectivity between the existing city and the new development has been meticulously planned, according to Chan. The public transportation network will undergo a reorganization, with the construction of new bridges and tunnels to facilitate movement. The aspiration is to model New Tashkent after "Central Asia's Amsterdam," complete with an artificial canal system flanked by green parks designated as conservation zones, as described by Hakan Agca, the founder and managing director of London-based Cross Works, the lead consultant and masterplanner for the project.

The new city is designed to consist of numerous self-sufficient communities, embodying the "15-minute city" urban planning concept. This concept envisions a city where residents can access all their basic needs, from educational institutions to retail outlets to healthcare facilities, within a 15-minute walk or bike ride.

Approximately 6,000 hectares are slated for development by 2045, with apartment buildings intended to house around 600,000 residents. The project is well underway, with groundwork currently in progress, Agca reported. The first phase, District 1, will feature a government zone, a pedestrianized retail area named "Silk City" where artisans can showcase and sell their hand-crafted textiles and jewelry, and an entertainment hub with open-air markets and venues for concerts and sporting events. The Tashkent Twin City Towers, standing at 575 meters (1,890 feet), will be the centerpiece of the commercial core, making it the sixth tallest building in the world.

Chan expressed that the people of Uzbekistan are enthusiastic about the forthcoming changes. "I believe it is a bold and ambitious plan," she commented. "And I believe it will meet many of the needs of Uzbekistan's residents."