“Tashkent loves you!”: Public spaces, urban development problems

Abstract

This paper describes the experience of Russian urban anthropologists who worked in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) in 2018 as members of Strelka KB. The main task of the Strelka KB team was to develop pilot projects for reconstruction and improvement of a number of streets in Tashkent. Since doing urban projects outside Russia requires special attention paid to local context, the anthropologists were tasked with identifying the specifics of using the city, first and foremost - the preferred leisure activities and urban mobility practices. As a part of the research trip to Tashkent, a series of in-depth and go-along interviews were conducted with city dwellers of various ages, gender, and religion (a total of 34 interviews), as well as expert interviews with local opinion leaders - architects, local historians, activists, scientists, and businesspeople (15 interviews). In this article we analyze the reaction of local residents to the interest of anthropologists and urbanists to their environment, the main features of the structure and urban zoning of Tashkent and specifically of public spaces, the transformation of the image of the city in comparison with the 1990-2000s (e.g., the end of the nostalgic myth). Finally, the practical results of a pilot project on transformation of urban environment are briefly presented.