Making Tbilisi ‘the best city it can be’
Consulting company PwC reveals Tbilisi Sea development plan

The area surrounding Tbilisi Sea is set to undergo major infrastructural development this year in an effort to turn the area into a bustling commercial and residential district and make the Georgian capital "the best of what the city can be” by 2018.

The development plan for the area has been designed by consulting company, PwC Georgia, and envisions the construction of recreational and sports facilities, sales and services outlets as well as residential buildings.

The plan pays special attention to minimally interfering in the natural environment.

[This] sustainable masterplan is actionable and attractive for a range of key stakeholders: investors, tourists and the citizens of Tbilisi”, said Michał Kliś, GeoAnalytics Team Manager at PwC Poland.

The project used spatial data analysis to determine the selection and location of investments in developing tourist, hospitality and retail facilities alongside Tbilisi’s main water reservoir.

In its aim to make Tbilisi ‘the best of what the city can be’, the Government of Georgia has been considering the development of underutilised land plots in the city. PwC Georgia [has created a project that] has huge potential for increasing the economic growth of the city and the well-being of its citizens”, said Tamta Shermadini, Advisory Senior Manager at PwC Georgia.

The area surrounding Tbilisi Sea which will be undergo major transformation in 10 years. Photo  by PwC Georgia. 

PwC Georgia became actively in the prospect of transforming the area around Tbilisi Sea in August of 2015. In order to combine local knowledge with high-standard technical practices, PwC Georgia teamed up with its data analytics colleagues at PwC Poland.

The PwC analysts combined hundreds of data layers such as demographic information, current city infrastructure and real estate value distribution to determine the optimal location of developments. The many data layers used during analysis were then combined into a three-dimensional visualisation of the area.

The 3D visualization includes, among other things, a full map of public transport, a road model, a demographic profile, an infrastructure map and natural environment components. This has made it possible to determine what features were missing around the area being analysed. On this basis, experts proposed business initiatives for the Tbilisi Sea area land use, along with financial models for every project, evaluating its potential and profitability.

Geodata-driven urban planning allowed PwC to present city and national government officials with a comprehensive masterplan that takes into account all key factors affecting the future success of investments in development.

In the new year we will present the master plan of the Tbilisi Sea development to the public and business communities for them to see their opportunities and find their roles around the Sea. This is one of our important future projects”, said Tbilisi Mayor David Narmania.