Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia founded in the 5th century, already has 1.5 million inhabitants and seeks to become a more inhabitable, cleaner and greener city, safeguarded from the negative impact of traffic, with improved sustainable mobility and equal access to urban development opportunities.
One of the main ideas emerging from the city´s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan is the ‘superblock’ concept, a paradigm shift toward people-centred planning, improving quality of life in the city through greater pedestrian mobility, greenways, local economic development and public transport.
The concept, inspired by the urban principles of the ‘Superilla Barcelona’ model, seeks to transform the city streets, recuperating part of the space currently occupied by private vehicles thus creating healthy public areas, with more greenery, fairness and safety, encouraging social interactions and local economy.
TYPSA has been chosen to develop the conceptual design and feasibility study for the ‘superblocks’ in three areas of the Georgian capital: Sololaki, Kiacheli and London Park. The project has been commissioned by the Tbilisi Development Fund, with funding from the Asian Development Bank and has been structured in the following tasks:
- Analysis of the state, conservation and restoration of historic buildings, including an assessment of the heritage impact, together with traffic, social, and demographic surveys.
- Master plan and conceptual design of three scenarios of ‘superblocks’, mobility, strategic urban development and public services.
- Report on the financial and economic feasibility study, and environmental, social, and gender evaluation.
- Communication strategy and plan.
- Revision of documents for subsequent project and work tenders.
TYPSA has also held workshops with stakeholders to share objectives and designs, and to engage neighbours, social and economic groups, public administration and representatives of the Asian Development Bank. Two of these workshops took place in Barcelona and Paris, with the corresponding institutional visits.
An enriching experience for the TYPSA team, bringing its experience and dedication to this vibrant and captivating city, with great historical wealth and an eclectic mix of cultures, which has an important influence as a cultural, political and economic centre in the Caucasus region.
TYPSA´s involvement has been received by the Tbilisi City Council and the Development Fund with great satisfaction, to the extent that the following congratulatory message was sent to the team:
“Collaborating with you was an enriching and memorable experience throughout the various stages of the project. We greatly value the professional cooperation and the extensive knowledge and expertise you provided, especially in the areas of design, conceptualization, and project management.
We would like to thank you for the several very interesting workshops, presentations, and study tours with a fruitful, outstanding agenda that your team held within the project implementation.
We hope that the valuable documentation developed and presented, as well as the experience shared by you, will be the basis for the further development and evolution of the project for the appropriate development of the city of Tbilisi.
Thank you once again for your outstanding contribution.”
