‘Green Street’ transforms Tbilisi into city of the future

A residential street in Georgia’s capital is going green; green asphalt, rare plants, innovative technologies and solar powered installations will transform the area into one of the most modern and innovative spaces in the city and the world.

In two months’ time Kargareteli St in Marjanishvili district of the city will be unrecognisable from its current state, after undergoing a major upgrade to turn the street ‘green’.

Tbilisi’s Technology Development Fund announced the goal of the ‘green street’ project was to present Tbilisi to the world as a place of creativity, novelty and a regional centre of modern technologies.

To turn Kargareteli St into a ‘green street’, the Technology Development Fund planned to lay green asphalt on the road, install solar-powered outdoor lights, put innovative rubbish bins that press garbage, install ‘clever chairs’ that monitor air pollution and place chargers where electric cars can recharge their batteries.

We intend to establish a green lifestyle in Tbilisi,” head of Technology Development Fund Kakhaber Gvantseladze told City Kvira.

People can charge electric cars on Kargareteli Street. Artist impression by Technology Development Fund. 

The project implied designing Kargareteli St according to a ‘green’ concept and assigning it ‘green status’ when complete. To achieve this we will use different environmentally-friendly tools,” he said.

"For example, rubbish bins will have the ability to press garbage itself before the rubbish truck comes. There will be charger devices in the street so the people can charge their cell phones, laptops, and more. There will also be places to charge electric cars too.”

Currently there are about 15 e-auto stations in Tbilisi where drivers can charge their cars, but soon this will increase once the new charging stations open on Kargareteli St, Gvantseladze said.

A ‘clever chair’ that monitors air pollution levels and shows the weather forecast was another innovative technology that will be installed on the street. Furthermore a modern underground water reservoir will also be fitted at Kargareteli St. The street’s infrastructure will also be fully rehabilitated, he added.

Solar-powered outdoor lights will be installed on Kargareteli Street. Photo by Technology Development Fund. 

A tender will be announced in two weeks, which companies can apply to carry out the works.

"This will be a pilot project. If successful, the project will cover other streets in Tbilisi,” said Gvantselidze.

"Kargareteli St is just a small street, only 230 metres long. Ultimately we want to make all large streets ‘green’ in Tbilisi.”