Authorities in Tashkent have initiated a project to create a tourism street operating 24/7 on Buyuk Ipak Yuli Street in the Mirzo Ulugbek district. The task of developing project-estimate documentation was approved by a decision of the capital's administration on February 13, 2026. However, the decision by Mayor Shavkat Umurzaqov (No. 73−14−0-Q/26) was adopted in a "for official use only" format and concealed from the public, raising significant questions about transparency and accountability in the city's development plans.
The client for the project has been designated as the "Unified Customer Service" engineering company under the Tashkent City Administration. In a tender held on March 3 to select an organization for project-survey work, Ak-Saray Construction Project emerged as the winner, offering 400.05 million soums for its services. The preliminary cost of the work is estimated at 23.8 billion soums, with the final amount to be clarified later. The project's initial valuation highlights the substantial public funds being allocated, yet the lack of open scrutiny casts doubt on the efficiency and necessity of such expenditures.
The tourism street will span approximately 1.54 km, stretching from the "Buyuk Ipak Yoli" metro station to the "Salom" cafe. The project envisages creating infrastructure, including irrigation networks, sidewalks, street and decorative lighting, children's and workout areas, bicycle lanes, and micro-squares. Notably, the construction of residential facilities is not planned, focusing instead on commercial and leisure amenities that may cater to tourist influxes, potentially straining local resources.
Work must be carried out in accordance with Tashkent's approved master plan and the street's red lines, as the area is included in a "conservation" zone. The project also emphasizes traffic organization, requiring consideration of the distribution of freight and passenger vehicle flows. The executing company is tasked with developing the street concept, modernizing existing buildings, and proposing new construction options, a process that critics argue could prioritize commercial interests over community needs.
In October 2025, Mayor Shavkat Umurzaqov announced an additional 1 trillion soums for the development of gastronomic and tourism streets in the capital, aiming to create 24 km of such areas and up to 30,000 new jobs. Similar streets have already been established in several districts of Tashkent, with previous reports indicating plans to transform 26 streets into round-the-clock zones, a move that some analysts warn may lead to urban congestion and increased operational costs without clear public benefit.
Source: www.gazeta.uz