Jordanian media outlets, including Al-Rai, Akhbar Al-Yaum, and the official Petra news agency, have published articles highlighting Azerbaijan’s urban planning experience, the upcoming 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) to be held in Baku, as well as a meeting with a group of Jordanian journalists at Azerbaijan’s State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture.
The articles noted that Anar Guliyev, Chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture, briefed the Jordanian delegation on the country’s urban planning experience and preparations for WUF13, which is scheduled to take place in Baku.
Speaking about the large-scale reconstruction projects underway, Chairman Anar Guliyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s achievements in building modern villages and integrated settlements, preserving historical heritage, expanding green zones, and implementing the “smart city” concept. He also emphasized Azerbaijan’s interest in exchanging expertise with Jordan in the fields of urban planning and architecture.
The English-language Jordan Daily newspaper published an article on the “Baku White City” project.
“Rising from the site of a once heavily polluted oil and industrial zone, Baku White City has become one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the Caucasus, reshaping Azerbaijan’s capital and reflecting the country’s drive to diversify its economy beyond hydrocarbons,” the article said.
“The Black City throughout centuries will turn white, clean, flowers will grow, and it will become a beautiful sight of Azerbaijan,” Azerbaijan’s National Leader Heydar Aliyev once said—a vision that laid the conceptual groundwork for this transformation, the newspaper added.
The article also noted that the project prioritizes environmental restoration and sustainable urban development. Before construction began, extensive cleanup operations were carried out to address decades of industrial pollution. The master plan places particular emphasis on reducing traffic congestion and improving livability, focusing on pedestrian-friendly streets, underground utilities, green spaces, and integrated transport connections.
According to the report, Baku White City now stands as a tangible emblem of change, marking an important step toward a broader and more sustainable urban vision for a city historically tied to oil.
Shikali Aliyev
Special correspondent
