Tbilisi's Vanishing Green Space and Its 677-Hectare Reforestation Response

Independent research by Georgia's ISET Policy Institute found that Tbilisi's per-capita green space collapsed from 5.6 m² in 2010 to just 1.3 m² in 2018 — far below the 10–15 m² per person considered a European benchmark — as the capital absorbed 8% population growth in a decade, concentrated 42% of Georgia's economically active organisations, and issued 48% of the country's construction permits (2019 data).
In response, in 2020 the Tbilisi Mayor's Office signed a memorandum with the Development and Environment Fund committing to reforest 677 hectares bordering the central districts of Tsavkisi, Okrokana, Sololaki, Mtatsminda, Vera, Vake, Bagebi and Tskneti, plus the Udzo Mountain area — hillside land where tree cover also helps control slope erosion above the city.
ISET-PI's own resident survey (n=224) found strong latent demand — 99% said the city needs more parks and 93% said they would visit more often if a park were nearby — but a mixed public reaction (52% negative, 48% positive) to the flagship Tbilisi Central Park redesign of the former Hippodrome, reflecting concern that food courts, parking and event zones in the 26-zone masterplan would crowd out the green space residents were asking for.
As of the most recent independent reporting, the reforestation memorandum's hectare commitment has not been matched by published, audited results on canopy establishment or survival, so its ecological impact remains a stated commitment rather than a measured outcome.

Read the full analysis: https://iset-pi.ge/en/blog/76-tbilisi-central-park-project-call-for-more-green-space-in-the-city