Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan plans to comprehensively modernise 400 mahallas in Tashkent by 2030, expand school and kindergarten capacity, and implement major urban development projects. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the initiatives on 14 October, including plans to upgrade the capital's social and engineering infrastructure.
The projects include neighbourhood renewal based on the principle of 15-minute accessibility, the construction of educational facilities, and the development of a new business centre in the Uchtepa district.
The 15-minute mahalla concept
One of the projects presented to the president involves the comprehensive modernisation of the Vatandosh, Mohinur, Al-Bukhari and Tong mahallas in the Yashnabad district. The four neighbourhoods cover a combined area of 75 hectares and have a population of 18,386.
The project is based on the concept of a 15-minute mahalla, under which essential services, educational and medical facilities, shops, household services, sports facilities and recreational areas should be accessible within a convenient walking distance.
Plans include expanding green spaces, creating a three-kilometre promenade, renovating children's playgrounds and sports grounds, and building a multifunctional sports facility. Expanding existing schools is expected to add 2,000 student places. Four kindergartens with a combined capacity of 540 children and three polyclinics are also planned.
The proposed improvements include moving cars out of residential courtyards, upgrading public transport stops, and creating safe pedestrian and cycling paths. The facades of 76 residential buildings will be renovated, while utility networks, street lighting and waste collection facilities will be upgraded. New retail and service outlets, cafes and public spaces are also planned.
Tashkent intends to modernise 100 mahallas under the 15-minute accessibility principle in 2027, with the total reaching 400 by 2030. The programme will cover heating, drinking water supply, sewage, electricity and gas networks, roads, pavements, lighting, apartment building facades, and children's playgrounds and sports facilities. Plans also include increasing the number of trees and shrubs per resident to levels consistent with international standards.
The programme is expected to create 130,000 jobs across the 400 mahallas by 2030, including 22,000 jobs in 100 mahallas in 2027. Banks will support the initiative by developing and implementing standardised business projects for entrepreneurs.
Expanding school capacity
Population growth in Tashkent is increasing demand for school places. The shortage was estimated at 141,000 places in the 2025/2026 academic year. Over the next five years, the number of schoolchildren is expected to rise by another 71,000, or 14%. By the 2030/2031 academic year, the shortfall could reach 212,000 places.
To address the deficit, the government plans to create 48,000 additional school places by 2030 through the republican budget and another 78,000 through the local budget. The school occupancy ratio is expected to fall from its current level of 1.4 to 1.2.
For the 2026/2027 academic year, plans have been prepared for 24 new schools with a combined area of 64,600 square metres and capacity for 38,000 students.
Seventeen new standard school designs will be introduced. They will include additional learning spaces, libraries, multipurpose halls for sports and cultural events, and staff rooms. The buildings will also feature ramps and lifts, inclusive education classrooms, medical facilities, and measures to improve safety and energy efficiency.
According to calculations, motion and water-consumption sensors could reduce electricity use by up to 20% and water consumption by up to 10%. The new designs are expected to save 50% of land area, improve space efficiency per student by 15%, and triple the area allocated to sports grounds. Overall, the efficiency of standard school designs is projected to increase by 40%.
The government also plans to establish cooperation between private education centres and public schools, allowing students to prepare for university admission and study foreign languages directly at their schools.
Plans to add 40,000 kindergarten places
Tashkent is home to 253,000 children aged three to seven. Preschool education coverage stands at 79.2%, while the shortage of kindergarten places is estimated at 65,000.
By 2030, the city plans to add 8,000 places through the republican budget and another 32,000 through the local budget. Preschool education coverage is expected to increase to 92%.
For the 2026/2027 academic year, plans have been prepared for 28 new kindergartens based on five design types. The facilities will cover a combined area of 32,000 square metres and provide 16,000 places.
Fourteen new standard design solutions will be introduced to support children's development and health. These include sensory rooms, speech therapy rooms, facilities for psychological and educational support, medical units and halls for various activities.
The plans also provide for video surveillance systems and impact-absorbing surfaces to improve children's safety, as well as air purifiers to improve indoor air quality. Energy-efficient lighting and solar panels are also envisaged. These measures are expected to increase the efficiency of standard kindergarten designs by 38%.
Uchtepa City and new public spaces
The presentation also included Uchtepa City, a modern business centre planned for the Uchtepa district and expected to be financed through direct foreign investment.
The complex will cover 37 hectares and be developed in two stages. During the first stage, the investor plans to invest US$1 billion in developing 26 hectares. The remaining 11 hectares are earmarked for residential buildings and service facilities in the second stage.
The centre is expected to include high-rise residential buildings, offices, a shopping and entertainment complex, an internationally branded hotel and a promenade.
Mirziyoyev was also presented with an architectural concept for the Uzbek-Turkish Friendship Park and Ataturk Street.
Following the presentation, the president instructed officials to further refine the projects, taking residents' needs and urban planning requirements into account.
