urban planning

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The Council of Ministers building. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Abkhazia

Abkhazia could turn Council of Ministers building into ‘luxury hotel’

by OC Media

•3 min read

Abkhazia’s President, Aslan Bzhaniya, has said that the iconic Council of Ministers building in the centre of Sukhumi (Sukhum), which has lain abandoned since the 1990s, could be turned into a luxury hotel. Speaking to students from Abkhazia in Moscow on 10 October, Bzhaniya stated that an investor had plans to reconstruct the building. His statement was aired on Abkhaz state television, following which an excerpt was widely shared on Abkhaz opposition Telegram channels. ‘Some investors ar

Armenia

Protests as Yerevan authorities demolish cafés around Opera Square

by Armine Avetisyan

•4 min read

Authorities in Yerevan have begun to demolish cafés in the park around the National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, leading to protests from staff and owners. The Mayor’s Office informed the owners of the cafés on 13 December that their leases would be terminated in 30 days, however, the demolition did not begin until 13 March. The authorities said they were fulfilling a campaign promise to restore green areas that had been turned into cafés. Owners and staff of the cafés proteste

Armenia

Yerevan street vendors protest forced removal from Ferdowsi Market

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•7 min read

On 6 June, the Yerevan City Hall informed the vendors of the clothing market on Ferdowsi Street that construction work would begin there on 15 June. The vendors were asked to move their improvised pavilions to other spots. They remain dissatisfied with the decision and have asked for six months to relocate. The negotiations have so far been fruitless. [Read in Armenian — Հոդվածը հայերեն կարդացեք] ‘You see, almost all of my assortment is for the summer. I brought it from Turkey a month

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

cycling

Tbilisi to open its first bike path

by OC Media

•2 min read

An 8 km bike path is to run along both sides of the River Mtkvari (Sanapiro) in Tbilisi, Tbilisi City Hall spokesperson Mirian Lebanidze has told OC Media. According to Lebanidze, there are practically no means currently for bicycles to move around in the city. For this reason, the city will work step-by-step to develop adequate infrastructure. The first bike path will be circular, connecting Deda Ena Park with Vakhushti Bagrationi Bridge. Lebanidze said that several departments in t