We may recall that the Lazika city project has been proposed by the Saakashvili administration to accelerate the process of urbanization. A new city was suggested as a means of absorbing surplus rural population and thus paving the way for land consolidation and greater productivity in agriculture.

Despite arduous government efforts to reduce regional disparities, population and wealth are very unevenly distributed across Georgia’s territory.

Another perspective on whether to build a new city or not: in some papers land scarcity is seen as a factor that stimulates urbanization and industrialization.

One thing few visitors to Tbilisi fail to notice is the rich and layered architectural heritage of the city. There are medieval churches in Old Tbilisi. There are art nouveau buildings in Sololaki.