Tajikistan’s first Tactical Urbanism project seeks to reclaim space for safe walking and cycling

Tajikistan is committed to promoting walking and cycling as part of its Nationally Determined Contribution for carbon reduction as per the Paris Agreement. It was also one of the leading countries behind the UN Resolution on the establishment of a World Sustainable Transport Day. However, pedestrians and cyclists remain among those most ‘at risk’ from road casualties across the country, accounting for 43% of all recorded road fatalities (WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023).

Research conducted by EASST partners, Young Generation of Tajikistan (YGT), in 2021 also found that a lack of road safety was the biggest barrier for people making a more permanent switch away from private cars to more sustainable modes of transport.

Using the Avoid-Shift-Improve paradigm and Tactical Urbanism, EASST and YGT have been aiming to improve road safety and provide safe spaces for active urban mobility as a viable alternative to car travel.

Earlier this year, we completed Tajikistan’s first ever Tactical Urbanism project with the support of the FIA Road Safety Grant Programme. This micro-project sought to upgrade a small bus station in Rudaki, a commuter district close to the capital with a high record of road fatalities, to create a safe space that links public transport with active travel. We also developed the first ever Tajik language guide for local stakeholders offering practical examples and ideas to support them in implementing active travel policies and initiatives.

Professor Carl Smith from the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas supported the design of our tactical urbanism intervention along with a local Urbanist and construction company.

The final work involved separating out spaces used by pedestrians and vehicles, with clearly marked spaces for waiting buses, installing bike racks, benches, and fixing the roof of the bus shelter so that people would not have to stand in the road. The road on which the shelter is located is currently undergoing re-surfacing work so we are working with the authorities to ensure a pedestrian crossing is also installed to safely enable people to cross safely when arriving and leaving the station.

While the scope of this project was modest, it has served as a catalyst to introduce an entirely new concept to the country. A core part of the project included delivering training for road engineers and engineering students, as well as key road safety stakeholders from the Ministry of Transport and Traffic Police. This covered an overview of road safety and active travel in Tajikistan as well as an introduction to the core principles of tactical urbanism projects and the benefits they can bring to local communities.

With the promotion of safe walking and cycling the core theme of this year’s UN Global Road Safety Week, we hope that this project will provide a concrete and specific example that can be used and scaled up to help national stakeholders reach their Paris Agreement commitments and make their intentions a reality.