00:01Baku has a very long and rich history,
00:05and now I can see that it turns into something of a city of future,
00:10and we are very proud to be a part of it.
00:20Baku White City is one of the most visible examples of that transformation.
00:24Built on land once dominated by heavy industry,
00:27it represents a new approach to urban development,
00:30focus on how cities function for people and who live and work in them.
00:35Success was built into the vision of this place.
00:41It's supposed to be green, supposed to be sustainable,
00:46supposed to be comfortable for living.
00:48It's a very nice mix of residential and commercial areas,
00:54and it converts the environment into a walkable city,
01:01in the concept of a 500-meter city or a five-minute city.
01:06It means people can walk five minutes to achieve everything what they need.
01:12It can be either a shop, cafe, school, kindergarten, pharmacy, bed cleaning.
01:20That reduces use of public transport and private transport.
01:26That reduces carbon emission and the ratio of green zones within the city is higher than average.
01:37In Baku White City, it's very clear to see how local developments will connect to the global debates
01:42that will take place here at the World Urban Forum in May.
01:46Good architecture and master planning, they're affecting people's lives.
01:51They're affecting their day-to-day routines.
01:53So architecture and master planning, to me,
01:56one of the most important things in the world.
01:58We can say that this is the city for the future.
02:07But cities are not defined by plans alone.
02:09They are shaped by people who choose to invest their time, energy and livelihoods in them.
02:14White City is a new and up-and-coming place right now in Baku.
02:25And I think because it's new and modern, it was a natural feel for us to be here.
02:32Also the architecture of this place was kind of designed for our idea.
02:37And also it's kind of a mash-up of tradition and modern Baku right now.
02:44White City attracts people because it has a very young energy.
02:49It used to be an industrial area.
02:52But as a phoenix, risen from the ashes, it's just completely changed.
02:58And it's a very walkable place. People want to meet here.
03:03It has a very unique kind of look.
03:07So I think that's why it attracts people to work and live here.
03:12Beyond the architecture, this transformation is measured in momentum.
03:16In who arrives, who stays and how new ideas take root.
03:20Turning once industrial space into a place of daily exchange and opportunity.
03:28The city grows stronger when local businesses grow with it.
03:31As this district grows, I think small businesses give the whole character to the place.
03:39That character is felt not only in shops and cafes,
03:42but in how people experience the city day to day.
03:48It's a unique transformation where the people are the centre
03:52and the priorities are the comfort and the walkability.
03:55So these things really do matter and they make the real impact on the whole thing.
03:58You know, when everything is closed, it's really good.
04:02Because you spend more time with family, not in the traffic.
04:08The school is near to us, the cafes, parks.
04:11I go to Pilates next to the home. It's very good for us.
04:15It's a combination of factors, which when they add up, that's where the change is.
04:20That's where the difference is.
04:21Because it's easy to build a building and plant few trees.
04:24It's not only about that.
04:25When you look at it all in all, it's little aspects.
04:29It's like a chain, you know, look at it.
04:31So all these little details add up and that's where the difference is.
04:34That's where the transformation is.
04:35Taken together, the ideas shaping Baku White City point to a different model of urban growth.
04:45One where planning, business and daily life are closely connected.
04:48And where the city of the future is built around people and families, not just infrastructure.
04:53There is no incentive to create such infrastructure, but this one where the city of the future is.
05:06There is no incentive as being used to our station.
05:09It has never been running trust.
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