Chirchiq River Masterplan

Chirchiq River is a glacial water body that has an endangered river bed and a very specific eco-system. The river divides the old and new Tashkent City and is a key city asset that not only provides key natural amenity to the city, but also a corridor for recreation and ecological preservation and enhancement. The rivers ever-changing characteristics, including the movement in and out of the channel and subsurface provides diverse biological habitat within the gravel bed floodplains.

The masterplan responds by preserving these ecological factors. Also with consideration of flooding, the design also integrates green buffers, new green infrastructure and observes an 80 metre offset for urban development in the case of storm events. The new communities are mixed use with a focus on providing a setting which enables local culture and well being.

Key design principles:

• Regenerating the wild meadows and integrating it into the urban landscape

• Create a unique destination that will embrace and enable nature, culture and well being

• Provide resilient waterfronts and nature; merging with urbanity and active street grids

• Preservation of wetlands & plantation of new aquatic plant species along the glacial river flood plains

• Integrated green spaces in the streetscape; that provides opportunity for rest, pause or social encounter

• Activated green streets and rooftops integrated with spaces for social interaction