BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. Housing in areas
where the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) approach is used sells
one and a half to two times faster, founder and managing partner of
the Kazakh STEP City company, Alina Bisembaeva, said at an event on
"Transit-oriented planning for new development" within the
framework of WUF13, Trend reports.


According to her, the fundamental logic and key principle of the
TOD approach is that cities and new territories are formed around
transportation infrastructure.


"These projects are based on a major transportation hub, a
railway station, or another significant point of attraction for
traffic flows and public transportation. Moreover, this isn't just
about constructing residential buildings. A full-fledged public
space is being created: densely populated residential
neighborhoods, commercial areas, and green spaces. Essentially,
this becomes an independent urban environment," Bisembaeva
said.


She noted that well-organized traffic frees up more space for
pedestrian areas and convenient transfers, which, in turn,
contributes to the creation of a better public environment.


"Near residential developments located near transit hubs within
TOD schemes, housing sells 1.5 to 2 times faster than in areas
without such infrastructure. Furthermore, construction costs are
5-10% lower due to the elimination of the need for large parking
spaces. At the same time, the value of such housing is typically
5-15% higher due to the availability of high-quality public
transportation nearby," Bisembaeva added.


Today marks the fifth day of WUF13 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.


One of the highlights of the third day was the signing of a
sister-city memorandum between the Azerbaijani city of Shusha and
the Turkish city of Trabzon.


The fourth day of WUF13 featured a broad program of events
dedicated to urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban
development, housing policy, and sustainable governance.


One of the important events of the UN Special Program for the
Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Cities Forum, held on the fourth
day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the
“Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA Smart
Climate-Resilient Cities Forum.”


Also, for the first time in WUF history and at Azerbaijan’s
initiative, the “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnership and
Decision-Making” was held.


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.


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