Rzayeva: WUF13 in Baku breaks record for private sector participation

At the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, the number of private sector participants set a new record compared to previous forums, Gulshan Rzayeva, Deputy National Coordinator of WUF13 and Deputy Chief of Staff of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan, stated during an event held within the WUF13, Report informs.

According to her, more than 11% of physical participants at WUF13 represented the private sector.

"The private sector is truly a vital player in any city. Yesterday's statistics showed that over 11% of total participants – not online registrants, but those physically present – were from the private sector. This is an excellent figure and a remarkable achievement. We broke the record of previous WUFs. If national governments accounted for 16% of representation, followed by academia with its research contributions, then 11% from the private sector is indeed a significant number," she explained.

Rzayeva added that urban planning and design directly affect people's perception and quality of life: "How cities are planned and designed is extremely important. Urban planning shapes not only the physical environment but also the way people experience their lives. It determines whether their quality of life is high or at least satisfactory."