The Local Community’s Vision and Priorities Have Been Consolidated as Part of the Akhaltsikhe General Plan
As part of the preparation of the Akhaltsikhe General Plan, a Local Community Workshop was held on 18 March 2026 at Akhaltsikhe Inn Hotel. The workshop aimed to gather the perspectives and ideas of representatives from different sectors on the city’s key challenges and development opportunities, forming an important component of the Vision phase of the General Plan.
The workshop brought together representatives from the municipality, architecture and urban planning, business, tourism, education, culture, infrastructure, and members of the local community. Conducted in an interactive format, the event included presentations, group discussions, and participatory mapping exercises in which participants identified development ideas directly on the city’s spatial map. Discussions followed the GOST methodology, enabling participants to define development goals, objectives, strategic directions, and practical actions.
The workshop highlighted Akhaltsikhe’s strategic location, rich cultural heritage, natural resources, tourism potential, and role as a regional centre as the city’s principal strengths. At the same time, participants identified unplanned urban development, infrastructure deficiencies, mobility constraints, environmental challenges, and barriers to economic development as the city’s most significant issues.
Participants shared a common vision of Akhaltsikhe as a multifunctional, economically competitive, and attractive city. Key priorities identified during the workshop included tourism development, infrastructure improvement, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, the effective use of cultural heritage, the enhancement of green spaces, and the development of a modern and integrated transport system.
The outcomes of the workshop will inform the subsequent stages of the General Plan and will serve as a basis for preparing the city’s development strategy and identifying priority investment projects.