Baku: Urban planning, architecture, and urbanism are increasingly becoming more technical fields, Anar Valiyev, associate professor of public affairs at the School of Public and International Affairs of ADA University, stated during the event titled 'Housing and Education: The Role of Living Space in Architecture Curricula' held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Anar Valiyev noted that this trend presents a significant challenge for modern education systems globally. He expressed concern that this issue is prevalent not only in Azerbaijan but also in many European Union countries and the United States, where urbanism has become excessively centered around technical skills. Valiyev observed that architecture curricula in Azerbaijan focus heavily on technical subjects such as drawing and project tools, while important disciplines like urban sociology, anthropology, economics, geography, and history are insufficiently covered.

Valiyev pointed out that this educational imbalance leads students to adopt a more technocratic and technical approach, steering away from humanitarian perspectives. This trend, he explained, is particularly evident in Azerbaijan and many former Soviet countries, where urbanism is predominantly viewed through an engineering lens. The primary focus is often on construction and city development from a building-centric viewpoint, overshadowing the importance of making cities more livable for their inhabitants.