Chairman of the Union of Architects of Armenia Mkrtich Minasyan said that in developed countries people prefer to live in suburbs, where there is enough area also for rest. Meanwhile, Armenians are ready to pay huge money to live downtown Yerevan. And due to high prices for lands here, the compactness of multistory buildings is unacceptable,” Minasyan told a press conference on August 7.

He noted that though the newly constructed buildings are rather solid and they are ready to stand natural disasters, their extreme density will hamper salvage operations in case of catastrophes. Minasyan said he stands for construction of 4-storey buildings and brightness at the same time, as grey colors of Yerevan recall the Soviet era. “The densely built-up areas have a negative impact on residents of Yerevan,” noted Minasyan.

Referring to Armenia’s regions, Mkrtich Minasyan noted that some towns of Armenia become depopulated. Specifically, he pointed to Charentsavan (Kotak region) and urged to struggle against this phenomenon and exert efforts for their economy’s revival.