BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. Central Asian
countries should develop mechanisms to capture land and property
value gains resulting from urban development, the World Bank’s
representative in Uzbekistan, Nadir Mohammad, said, Trend reports.


Speaking at the panel discussion “Two Regions, One Agenda:
Lessons for Inclusive Urban Regeneration” as part of the 13th World
Urban Forum (WUF13), Muhammad noted that financing urban
development remains one of the main challenges for many
countries.


“Very often we have good plans, but we don’t know how to finance
them. That is why we are looking for innovative ways to finance
development,” he noted.


Muhammad Nadir emphasized that the private sector is already
beginning to play a more important role in the urban development
process.


“The private sector has its own interests and its own agenda.
Therefore, the government must clearly define in which areas the
private sector can participate and in which areas government
intervention is necessary,” he emphasized.


The World Bank representative noted that the experience of Latin
American countries could be useful for Central Asia.


“In Colombia, Brazil, and other Latin American countries,
various instruments are used to generate revenue from land value
appreciation. These include airspace rights, betterment charges,
and development fees,” he said.


According to him, such mechanisms have not yet become widespread
in Central Asia.







“State and local authorities should consider how they can
generate revenue from the appreciation in land and property values
resulting from urban development. These funds can be reinvested in
urban development,” Mohammed Nadir added.


Today, the fourth day of the WUF13 conference is taking place in
Baku.


The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the
New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women
and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and
Azerbaijani flags also took place.


The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit,
featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis,
urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the
opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a
significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.


The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of
events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe
and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence
and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and
sustainable transport.


WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.