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New buildings rising side by side in recent years in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, as well as constructions added on top of old buildings have triggered discussions among the candidates running in the upcoming Yerevan City Council elections.

Banning constructions in downtown Yerevan at all is not realistic, meantime it is already packed with high-rise blocks of flats and can no longer house them, architect Arsen Karapetyan, a candidate of My Step bloc in the municipal elections said at today’s discussions addressing Yerevan’s architectural features and construction problems.     

He stressed the need put a spotlight on the public spaces and cultural facilities subject to preservation. “The general architectural layout is itself quite an old tool and does not reflect all the issues,” he said, proposing to adopt the zoning practice suggesting all the corners of the city have their restrictions and opportunities, which in turn would help investors. 

Karapetyan stressed the need to elaborate a general program on the city’s development, with all documents stemming from that program. 

Architect, a candidate for a City Council member representing the Yerevan Society bloc, Armine Ghazaryan says constructions in central Yerevan should be banned in the next few years.

She highlighted the general layout as the key document for the city which should be reviewed and strictly followed.

Ruben Jebeyan from the Reformists party pointed out to the limited number of old buildings in downtown Yerevan, stressing the need to restore and preserve them. “I believe it will be made possible not only through the municipality-proposed programs, but also programs jointly elaborated with our businessmen,” he said.

Ani Samsonyan representing Luys alliance, called attention to unloading the center of the capital, which, according to her, shows the proportionate community development plan for Yerevan failed to work effectively. She says the bloc’s election program features a proposal to create Urban Development Code, instead of amending the law on Urban Development.  

“During our activities we realized that there are legislative gaps, there are laws, government decisions that are not coordinated,” said the candidate.

Argishti Gevorgyan from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party also shared the views to limit constructions in downtown Yerevan, meantime adding some issues can be settled through constructions, like the parking lot issue. 

According to Hakob Simonyan representing Hayk party, Yerevan’s historical and cultural monuments should be attached special importance in the city’s master plan, while Mariam Khachatryan from Yerkir Tsirani party says the city should be divided into zones in line with their functions.
 
“We propose a law that would incorporate construction norms, i.e. the distance between two roads or buildings, etc.,” she said.