Overview

The Hrazdan Gorge Regeneration and Rejuvenation project addresses one of Yerevan’s most significant natural assets — a large-scale landscape corridor shaped by geology, water systems and industrial heritage — with the objective of restoring its ecological function while reconnecting it to the urban fabric.

Historically functioning as both natural infrastructure and productive landscape, the gorge today faces environmental degradation, fragmented accessibility and underutilisation despite its central metropolitan location. The project establishes a strategic framework for ecological restoration, climate adaptation and public accessibility, positioning the gorge as a resilient green-blue spine for the Armenian capital.

The initiative integrates landscape regeneration, water management and urban development strategy to transform the gorge into a catalyst for environmental improvement, recreation and sustainable urban growth.

Approach

The project applies an integrated urban–landscape methodology linking environmental restoration with metropolitan development.

Landscape and Ecological System Analysis: Comprehensive assessment of geomorphology, vegetation systems and ecological conditions establishes the basis for long-term regeneration and biodiversity enhancement.

Water Systems and Climate Integration: The Hrazdan River and associated hydrological systems are treated as core urban infrastructure. Flood risk, water quality and microclimatic performance inform regeneration strategies and nature-based interventions.

Digital Twin and Scenario Modelling: A digital twin of the gorge corridor supports scenario testing and long-term monitoring. Environmental conditions, hydrological dynamics and development scenarios can be simulated to guide adaptive decision-making and phased implementation over time.

Urban Connectivity and Accessibility: The strategy reconnects the gorge with surrounding neighbourhoods through carefully phased access, mobility and public-space interventions, overcoming historic physical and social separation.

Adaptive Regeneration Framework: Rather than a fixed masterplan, the project defines a flexible framework allowing incremental ecological restoration, recreational activation and compatible economic uses aligned with environmental performance.

Outcomes

The project establishes the Hrazdan Gorge as a metropolitan-scale green-blue infrastructure of fundamental importance to Yerevan, historically, environmentally and spatially shaping the Armenian capital. The regeneration restores the gorge as the city’s natural backbone, strengthening ecological performance, improving water quality and enhancing climate resilience while reactivating its role within Yerevan’s urban morphology.

Long-fragmented districts are reconnected through accessible landscape corridors, transforming the gorge from a physical and social barrier into a unifying urban space and strengthening metropolitan connectivity. A digital twin framework enables continuous monitoring, scenario testing and adaptive long-term stewardship, supporting evidence-based management of the gorge as critical urban infrastructure.

The strategy translates the overarching vision into clearly prioritised and implementable projects, allowing public authorities and development partners to move directly toward funding and delivery. Through a phased and investable development framework, ecological restoration, public accessibility and compatible activation are aligned with institutional capacity and long-term urban growth.

The project repositions the Hrazdan Gorge as a central environmental, spatial and cultural asset underpinning Yerevan’s future resilience, liveability and sustainable development.

Client

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Yerevan Municipality

Partner

Arup

Timeline

2025 - ongoing