Tbilisi Transport Policy and Reforms: Main Issues and Recommendations
August 22, 2023
In 2018, Tbilisi authorities set out to decrease the city’s car dependency, reduce traffic jams, improve air quality and develop better infrastructure for walking and cycling. But despite investment from the EBRD and ADB, there has been little improvement.
Tbilisi’s transport policy conundrums: between resolution and resistance
August 21, 2023
The efforts of Tbilisi City Hall, responsible for transport reform, are anything but commendable. Criticism is also apt for the international financial institutions that have invested significantly in Tbilisi’s transport planning overhaul, and that are therefore responsible for monitoring its progress and impact.
Seven years after joining the EBRD’s Green Cities programme, is Yerevan’s green future going up in flames?
June 2, 2023
In May 2023, a massive fire broke out at the Nubarashen landfill on the outskirts of Yerevan, enveloping the city in a cloud of toxic smoke generated by the burning waste. It took 10 days and 2,300 truckloads of soil to extinguish the flames. Coming seven years after Yerevan became a pioneer by joining the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)’s Green Cities initiative, this incident is a stark reminder of the urgent need to adopt a safer and more sustainable approach to waste management and urban planning.
EBRD funds channelled to Kremlin affiliates: Why the purchase of Tbilisi metro cars from a Russian company should not proceed as planned
March 13, 2023
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is providing funding to Tbilisi City Hall to purchase metro cars for the Georgian capital’s metro system from Russian company Metrowagonmash. But Metrowagonmash is not just any Russian company.
Is Samarkand ready to become a Green City?
December 26, 2022
This briefing reviews Samarkand’s existing urban development plans, the main environmental and social concerns of residents with a focus on public transport, and provides recommendations on including civil society in the GCAP planning.
Almaty’s Green City Action Plan: a plan for destructive creation?
December 8, 2022
The Kazakh city of Almaty joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)’s Green Cities initiative in 2019. How does the first Green City Action Plan in Central Asia reflect public participation?
Ukrajinská analytička: Obnova miest už môže začať, musí ale byť zelená
October 12, 2022
Nie všetko, čo bolo na Ukrajine zničené, by malo byť postavené znovu. Nemôžeme obnoviť továrne ťažkého priemyslu, len aby sme ich o desať …
Tbilisi’s public transport woes and faltering reforms
September 28, 2022
Residents of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi have been struggling with the city’s beleaguered public transport network, air pollution, road congestion and inadequate access to schools and workplaces for years. In the past decade, Tbilisi authorities with the involvement of international financial institutions, set out to improve the situation. Today, despite the availability of funds, most of the old problems persist.
Voices of support for Ukraine echo in Morocco: takeaways from the EBRD Annual Meeting in Marrakesh
June 8, 2022
The 2022 EBRD Annual Meeting was held in the city of Marrakesh, Morocco. Although taking place far away geographically, the topic of Ukraine dominated the agenda. Will the EBRD ensure its funds for the country’s reconstruction are used in the most efficient, green and inclusive way?
Towards a people-powered, green transformation in Almaty
February 16, 2022
The EBRD must move away from its carbon tunnel vision and widen its perspective on all impacts of climate investments in cities
