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1. Cities and Climate: The Future of the Future

Author:
Nicolas J. A. Buchoud
Publication Date:
10-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Baku Dialogues
Institution:
ADA University
Abstract:
The present paper is intended to serve as a background document for the World Urban Forum that will take place in Cairo in November 2024 under the slogan, “Cities and Climate: The Future of the Future.” It is critical to learn from the historical foundations of contemporary urban imaginaries and trends. This essay explores some of these as they crystallized during the 1960s and early 1970s, alongside the emergence of planetary or “world systems” understanding. There is much to learn from the context and impact of futurologist studies produced decades ago, particularly those that looked to the then-distant year 2000. A better understanding of this history is useful to have in mind in the context of envisioning future urban policymaking options, a few of which which will be examined in light of recent events and trends.
Topic:
Climate Change, Cities, and Future
Political Geography:
Middle East

2. Managing Investments in Urban Areas: The Case of Azerbaijani Cities

Author:
Shahnaz Badalova
Publication Date:
10-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Baku Dialogues
Institution:
ADA University
Abstract:
Urban areas in Azerbaijan are experiencing rapid growth and development, fueled by a combination of natural resource wealth, strategic geographic location, and economic reforms. In cities such as Baku, Ganja, and Sumgayit, significant investments have been made in infrastructure, housing construction, and industry. However, effectively managing these investments to achieve sustainable urban development remains a critical challenge. This article examines the policies and strategies for investment management in Azerbaijani cities, learning from both successes and ongoing challenges.
Topic:
Development, Natural Resources, Investment, Urban, and Cities
Political Geography:
Eurasia, Azerbaijan, and South Caucasus

3. Long Way Ahead: Applying the Sustainable Cities Implementation Framework in Azerbaijan

Author:
Anar Valiyev and Fidan Namazova
Publication Date:
10-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Baku Dialogues
Institution:
ADA University
Abstract:
In the past 30 years, Azerbaijan has transformed from a majority rural society to a majority urban one. The urban population rate grew from 45 percent in 1993 to 57 percent in 2024. Of the total country’s population, around 24.3 percent is concentrated in the city of Baku. But the Greater Baku Area, which consists of the urbanized region encompassing the nearby cities of Sumgayit and Khirdalan (both of these are located, as is Baku, on the Absheron Peninsula), is estimated to host around 40 percent of country’s population—that is to say, around 4 million people. Ganja, the country’s second‑largest city, has a population of a little less than 400,000, making the urban primacy index in the country around 7 (unofficially, the number is closer to 10).
Topic:
Climate Change, Cities, and Sustainability
Political Geography:
Eurasia, Azerbaijan, and South Caucasus

4. Urban Green Areas in Baku: Crafting a Sustainable and Climate-Resilient City Agenda

Author:
Tural Aliyev, Mauel Fischer, Janine Bollinger, and Alexandre Hedjazi
Publication Date:
10-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Baku Dialogues
Institution:
ADA University
Abstract:
In the face of ongoing global environmental dynamics such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and natural resource depletion, one of the most significant challenges of the twenty‑first century is mitigating the negative externalities due to urbanization while adapting to the consequences of urban development. Beyond the increasing, ecological footprint of urban areas and the escalating demands for a diverse array of resources, land‑use practices significantly diminish the availability of areas essential for sustaining ecosystem services. This reduction not only impacts biodiversity but also limits nature’s capability to provide crucial services like clean air, water, and climate regulation—paradoxically, precisely in cities where their demand would be greatest. Many of these ecosystem services are directly linked to the natural environment in cities, such as green urban areas. Indeed, urban green areas (UGAs) are of high importance as they significantly contribute to vital ecosystem services (e.g., pollination through increased biodiversity), response options and thus resilience to environmental (climate) change (e.g., sponge cities), and human wellbeing, including direct impacts on our physical and mental health (e.g., nearby recreation).
Topic:
Climate Change, Urban, Cities, Sustainability, and Resilience
Political Geography:
Eurasia, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, and Baku

5. Implementing Azerbaijan’s New Urban Agenda: The Case for Transformative Policymaking

Author:
Anna Soave
Publication Date:
10-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Baku Dialogues
Institution:
ADA University
Abstract:
We live in a time of profound and rapid transformation. Trends and multifaceted challenges that have been gradually evolving in the past decade appear to be converging towards radical changes in the urban realm, driven by global geopolitical shifts, cultural dynamism, uneven socio‑economic progress, the disruption of labor markets reshaped by the digital revolution, and emerging technological and scientific advancements. All these are, to make matters more even complex, topped by the drive to “go green” due to the increasing evidence of our overuse of finite natural resources and the vulnerability of our ecosystem to climate crisis, and thus to our own wellbeing. Azerbaijan’s comprehensive “Strategic Road Maps,” approved in 2016, set the basis for the country’s aspirations towards the sustainability and competitiveness of its economic structure through the development of the non‑oil sector and its human capital. The more recent policy and reform framework, titled “Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio‑Economic Development,” which was endorsed in 2021, spells out clean‑cut priorities for the country aimed at stimulating the growth of its economy, fostering a dynamic, inclusive, and socially‑just society, promoting the balanced development of the regions, encouraging innovation and creativity, guiding the return of internally displaced people (IDPs) to their areas of origin in the liberated territories, and promoting decarbonization.
Topic:
Climate Change, Geopolitics, Urban, Cities, and Decarbonization
Political Geography:
Eurasia, Azerbaijan, and South Caucasus