development

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development

Opinion | Everything that makes Tbilisi ‘exciting’ is just a façade

by Bakar Berekashvili

•6 min read

Georgia’s capitalist transformation has created a new social and political order imbued with the spirit of social Darwinism, and Tbilisi is a city emblematic of this post-communist order. The social injustice and poverty generated by this order, however, is disguised in Georgia’s capital by a façade of development. Tbilisi is a city of extremes, where rich and poor live side-by-side. This is typical of a post-soviet, capitalistic city: full of dramatic contrasts. The spirit of the new ca

Azerbaijan

The puzzles and problems of the most populated city in the South Caucasus

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•8 min read

The lack of job opportunities and development prospects in the rural regions of Azerbaijan has provoked a population influx to the capital, and the rapid growth of Baku’s population has increased the load on the city’s infrastructure. Problems faced by the metropolis and its inhabitants include gas cutoffs, waste management issues, water shortages, and traffic jams. The fate of one district Sabina spent her childhood with a view overlooking a wasteland — the never-ending subway constr

banking

Opinion | Bank reforms touted by Georgia’s Prime Minister–to-be could spell the end of predatory lending

by Tato Khundadze

•7 min read

Just two months after announcing sweeping reforms of Georgia’s banks, 36-year-old Finance Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze looks set to become the new Prime Minister. While the country’s banks have become among the most profitable in the world, they have done so at the expense of ordinary Georgians. If Bakhtadze and his replacement at the finance ministry follow through on these reforms, they could be the first step in addressing some of Georgia’s most pressing economic woes. The remarkable ri

development

Practical or destructive: controversy surrounds new mountain road in Georgia

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•9 min read

The Georgian government has an ambitious plan to construct a road connecting the mountainous regions of northeast Georgia, from Khevsureti to Tusheti. It’s stated goal — to develop tourism and help locals travel between difficult-to-reach areas. But many, both locals and others, are against the project. They say it will wreck the environment, damaging the region’s unique natural appeal, and taking with it their hopes of developing ecotourism. A group of activists, locals and ordinary

Renovated Pekini Street (Tbilisi City Hall photo)

aghmashenebeli

Opinion | Lack of care and forethought hold back Tbilisi’s development projects

by Irakli Zhvania

•7 min read

Tbilisi and its inhabitants are accustomed to major renovations at election times — a ‘tradition’ for politicians and city administrations. Such timely expressions of care for the city started under the United National Movement and have continued with Georgian Dream. [Read in Georgian — სტატია ქართულ ენაზე] These projects seek to improve the appearance of buildings, streets, or entire neighbourhoods — from superficial painting of façades to technical interventions, from improvised additio

atoneli

Families and businesses in limbo over restoration of historic Tbilisi district

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•7 min read

Families and businesses are facing imminent eviction to make way for renovations. Despite plans to begin the work in March, residents and business owners are yet to receive details from the city, throwing their futures into uncertainty and chaos. Several families in one of Tbilisi’s oldest districts will be relocated by Tbilisi City Hall for almost a year until restoration works are finished. As the City has not provided them with details about the process, residents in the area surround