The Strategic Reforms Agency has released a set of proposals for implementing the "24/7 street" practice in Uzbekistan.
Currently, efforts to create 24/7 streets are underway in all regions of Uzbekistan. In the Bukhara region alone, there are plans to establish 53 such zones with an average length of 825 meters.
In Tashkent, there are two gastronomic streets—Sultanali Mashkhadi and Taras Shevchenko. Plans are in place to transform another 8 streets into the 24/7 format in the Uchtepa, Chilanzar, Sergeli, Yakkasaray, Shaykhantakhur, and Yashnabad districts.
The establishment of these streets is envisioned in a presidential decree dated May 11, 2021. It permits entrepreneurs operating in commercial and entertainment streets in major cities, regional, and district centers to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
However, Uzbekistan has yet to define the criteria for 24/7 streets—such as length, operating hours, service formats, etc. To address the issues related to determining economic efficiency, the Strategic Reforms Agency proposed:
- to develop criteria and minimum requirements for 24/7 streets and approve them at the Cabinet level;
- to prepare a targeted program for the establishment of 24/7 streets based on these criteria.
Criteria Abroad
Streets with night economy establishments in other countries operate under one of two schedules. Some operate on an extended hours basis (9:00 AM – 2:00 AM) every day, while others operate 24/7 with a focus on weekends (Friday – Sunday) and holidays.
The length of a 24/7 street, according to New York City regulations, must be at least 800 meters. Typically, they span 1 km or more, with the majority of the space allocated for food service, retail, and entertainment venues.
It is considered economically viable to create 24/7 streets in cities with a population density of 5-10 thousand people per square kilometer. The presence of public transport, communication infrastructure, and financial and consumer services is essential.
Earlier, Spot reported that the Ministry of Digital Technologies and the Chamber of Commerce proposed the creation of special zones for the "night economy."