Tashkent Recognized as a City with “Development Potential” in Smart City Ranking

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, has been included in the group of cities with “development potential” in a new smart city ranking compiled by Kept.

The study, published in October 2025, covers 15 cities across the CIS and BRICS+ countries, assessing the level of technological implementation and its impact on the quality of urban life.

According to the analysis, Tashkent scored fewer than 50 points, falling short of the threshold required to enter the mid-tier group of the ranking.

The city received its lowest score in the “Smart Business and Employment” category — just 40.4 points, ranking 14th among all participants. Experts note that this reflects the insufficient level of digitalization of business and employment services.

The study paid special attention to sustainable development. Tashkent showed one of the weakest results in terms of green space per capita — around 3 square meters per resident, largely due to extensive construction and the limited size of green zones, which occupy only 2% of the city’s territory.

In addition, air pollution levels in the capital are rated as elevated (AQI 101–150), and the city’s transport system has the longest average travel time relative to its area — 10.7.

Challenges were also identified in urban governance: Tashkent does not yet have a dedicated open data portal, and the available information is updated irregularly, making it difficult to assess the performance of the city administration. Furthermore, there is no state program for developing an inclusive environment for people with limited mobility, though new schools meeting inclusion standards are planned to open in every district during 2025–2026.

Despite these shortcomings, the city is making progress in certain areas. Tashkent is among the CIS capitals leading in the adoption of electric vehicles, and it has introduced smart lighting and smart metering systems. The city also boasts five hotel rooms per 1,000 residents, with ongoing plans to expand tourism and transport infrastructure.

The authors of the Kept report recommend that Tashkent focus on digitizing interactions between citizens, businesses, and the government, and strengthening its sustainability agenda to improve the overall quality of the urban environment.

According to experts, Tashkent has significant potential to advance its smart city initiatives and improve its position in future rankings.