Uzbekistan Pushes Ahead with ‘New Tashkent’ Megacity to Ease Urban Strain

Urbanization Pressure

The government of Uzbekistan is advancing its “New Tashkent” project, a city being built from the ground up as part of the capital’s 2045 master plan. With ground officially broken in March 2023, the development aims to absorb the demographic pressure on the current capital, reduce the environmental footprint, and introduce new standards for urban living in Central Asia.

New Tashkent is strategically located near the existing capital, between the Chirchiq and Qorasuv rivers, and will span approximately 20,000 hectares. The plan envisions it as a new urban core, not a suburban extension, designed to accommodate around 2 million residents and create 200,000 high-income jobs centered on innovation and technology.

Data from Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee highlights accelerating urbanization. By July 1, 2025, more than 19.3 million people, or about 51% of the population, were expected to live in cities. Tashkent remains the primary destination. While its official population is 3.1 million, the daily figure can be 30–35% higher when accounting for students and internal migrants, straining transport networks, infrastructure, and housing.

The imbalance is intensified by the concentration of higher education, with 98 of the country’s 222 universities located in Tashkent, fueling a continuous influx of young people.

Green Buildings, Energy, and Climate Resilience

Sustainability is at the core of the architectural design. Buildings are slated to meet international standards such as LEED, BREEAM, and EDGE, which focus on energy efficiency, water conservation, and sustainable materials. Green roofs will help regulate temperatures during extreme summer heatwaves, reducing energy consumption. Rainwater harvesting and reuse systems are planned to limit flood risk and dependence on external water sources.

The city’s energy infrastructure is integrated into the master plan. It will leverage existing hydroelectric power and includes a 400 MW solar park currently under construction. New Tashkent will also host an additional 100 MW photovoltaic station and a trigeneration unit to convert waste into heat and electricity. A 20% improvement in building energy efficiency is estimated to save over 900 million kilowatt-hours annually.

Mobility and the 15-Minute City

Transportation is a central pillar of the project. A 21-kilometer metro line will connect New Tashkent to the capital, and trams with dedicated corridors will be reintroduced in the city center. Eight multimodal hubs will facilitate seamless transfers between metro, trams, bicycles, and buses, featuring underground parking, electric vehicle charging stations, and micromobility zones.

At the neighborhood level, the city adopts the 15-minute city concept, ensuring essential services are accessible by foot or bicycle. Experts note its effectiveness will depend on long-term financing, governance, and residents’ willingness to limit private car use.

Radial Urbanism, Culture, and Water

A radial model forms the city’s urban design, prioritizing walkability and access to key functions. Green infrastructure serves as its backbone, with parks, riverfront zones, and cycling and pedestrian paths connected in a single ecological network.

A standout feature is a planned cultural island at the confluence of artificial canals, intended as a focal point for social life. The water system, with its network of canals between the Chirchiq and Qorasuv rivers, combined with green corridors, aims to create shaded public spaces and a favorable microclimate.

Current Progress and Next Steps

By the end of 2025, construction activity had reached 3 million square meters. Government ministries and state agencies have begun operating from temporary facilities to test the new infrastructure. A modular building for the Ministry of Construction, housing 550 employees, has been completed, and construction has created 10,000 jobs. Through auctions, 24 commercial plots have secured investment contracts worth €1.72 billion.

Key infrastructure projects include an 86-million-euro, 40,000-square-meter underground parking facility, with its first phase for 200 cars and 30 motorcycles scheduled for completion in 2026. The “Sharq Bahori” residential complex is under development on a 95-hectare site for approximately 15,000 households. The “New Uzbekistan University” is also being built to accommodate 10,000 students, with a 2027 completion date. A 55,000-seat FIFA-standard football stadium is also in progress ahead of the U-20 World Cup in 2027, which Uzbekistan will co-host with Azerbaijan.