Amidst rapid changes in urban spaces and the growing role of sustainable development in urban planning, Azerbaijan is taking an important strategic step by declaring 2026 the Year of Urban Development and Architecture. This decision demonstrates the country's commitment to integrating modern planning standards and improving the quality of urban life at the national level. Particular attention is paid not only to architectural objects but also to the development of public spaces, mobility, housing, and climate resilience. This approach opens opportunities for systemic development and the replication of successful practices in other cities of Azerbaijan. In the long term, this could create a unified national urbanism standard, where comfort, environmental friendliness, and cultural continuity will become key indicators of urban quality.

AZERTAC presents an exclusive interview with urban planning expert and Deputy Head of the Department of Architecture at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at Alanya University (Türkiye), Professor Dr. Hourakhsh Ahmadnia.

-How do you assess Azerbaijan's decision to declare 2026 the Year of Urban Development and Architecture? What strategic signals does this send internationally?

- Declaring 2026 as the Year of Urban Development and Architecture is a strategic move because it turns urbanism into a national priority with political visibility, measurable programs, and international outreach. For the global architectural community, it signals that Azerbaijan wants to be evaluated not only by landmark buildings, but by the quality of its urban life—housing, mobility, public space, heritage, and climate resilience—aligned with global frameworks like sustainable urbanization and the SDGs. It also creates a clear platform for partnerships, research exchange, and innovation, especially with Baku hosting the World Urban Forum in May 2026.

I was in Baku two months ago, and what impressed me most was the extent to which the city has been developed with European urban standards—legible public spaces, a generally human-scale experience, and a visible ambition to combine modernization with identity. The next strategic step is to extend this urban development logic beyond the capital, so that other major Azerbaijani cities can benefit from the same planning discipline, quality benchmarks, and public-space culture that Baku has been cultivating.

- Azerbaijan has a rich architectural heritage… How can contemporary architecture preserve cultural identity without becoming a pastiche?

-The key is to treat heritage as a system of principles, not a catalog of decorative motifs. Cultural identity can be preserved through continuity in urban morphology, proportions, material intelligence, craft logic, climate responsiveness, and the relationship between buildings and public space—rather than copying historical facades. When contemporary design respects scale, street rhythm, courtyards, shading strategies, and local material tactility, it can feel authentically rooted while still being unmistakably of its time.

In practice, this means using conservation areas like Icherisheher as a “living laboratory” for adaptive reuse and careful infill, while allowing newer districts to express contemporary architecture—yet guided by a shared urban code: human-scale streets, robust ground floors, and culturally legible public spaces. Identity is strongest when it is experienced in daily life—walking comfort, microclimate, and social interaction—not only in imagery.

- Can Baku be viewed as an experimental platform for modern urban development in the post-Soviet/Eurasian space? Which solutions are most indicative?

-Yes. Baku is increasingly functioning as a regional test-bed where post-Soviet urban transformation meets global planning standards. The city demonstrates how a capital can reposition itself through integrated waterfront development, renewed public realms, and a portfolio that includes both heritage and contemporary icons. From an urban design perspective, what matters is not only iconic architecture, but the way public spaces connect—how walkability, street edges, and everyday mobility create a coherent urban experience. Two months ago, being on the ground in Baku, I could feel that the city is aiming for a European-style urban readability and human-scale public life. The most indicative “solutions” are those that strengthen the city as a connected system: high-quality promenades and parks, improved pedestrian environments, and district-scale regeneration that creates mixed-use, active ground floors. If this approach is translated into consistent planning standards, Baku can serve as a transferable model for other cities in the region.

- Large-scale restoration in liberated territories: what sustainable principles are key?

-In post-conflict or large-scale reconstruction contexts, sustainability starts with long-term livability: resilient infrastructure, social services, economic viability, and climate-adaptive urban form—not only rapid construction. The first principle is “build back better” through compact settlement patterns, mixed-use centers, and connectivity, so that new development reduces future operating costs and energy demand. The second is ecosystem-first planning: respecting watersheds, topography, biodiversity corridors, and agricultural landscapes before drawing plots and roads.

Architecturally, the essentials are passive design (orientation, shading, thermal mass, ventilation), local materials where feasible, and modular systems that allow phased growth without losing urban quality. Just as important is governance: transparent design guidelines, quality control, and community participation so that reconstruction produces places people truly choose to live in—not only completed projects.

- With South Caucasus climatic conditions, which approaches best improve environmental sustainability?

-For this region, the most effective approaches combine passive climate design with district-scale solutions. On the building level, that means correct orientation, deep shading, high-performance envelopes, natural ventilation strategies, and courtyard or buffer-space typologies—strategies that reduce cooling loads while improving comfort. On the urban scale, the priorities are heat mitigation and air quality: street trees, shaded pedestrian routes, reflective and permeable surfaces, and a network of parks that acts as a cooling infrastructure. Equally important is mobility and energy: compact mixed-use neighborhoods that reduce car dependency, public transport integration, and district energy or renewable integration where possible. Sustainability is achieved when architecture, landscape, and mobility work as one system—designed for comfort, not only aesthetics.

- How do you envision Azerbaijan’s cities in 20–30 years if 2026 goals are achieved consistently?

-If implemented systematically, Azerbaijan can become a regional benchmark for human-centered, climate-adaptive urbanism. In 20–30 years, I would expect a network of cities—not only Baku—offering high-quality public space, efficient mobility, and resilient infrastructure, with development guided by clear design codes and measurable sustainability targets. The best outcome is a national “urban standard” where housing quality, walkability, and public amenities are consistent across regions. Baku has already demonstrated many elements of European-standard urban development and a generally human-scale direction; the next leap is replication—adapting those principles to each city’s local landscape, economy, and identity. If the Year of Urban Development and Architecture is used to institutionalize planning capacity, professional training, and design governance, Azerbaijan’s cities can be both globally competitive and deeply place-based.