Lisi Development’s total investment in sustainable urban development has exceeded USD 150,000,000. The company continues to attract local and international investment to contribute to the development of the country’s economy. Lisi Green Town is a successful example of what proper urban planning is all about. A properly planned district and greenery sets it apart from other projects and makes it interesting to citizens.
Nodar Adeishvili, General Director of Lisi Development, spoke about their contribution to the urban development of the city, successfully implemented projects, future plans and important issues in his interview with The FINANCIAL.
Q: Urban development has become one of the top priorities of today. What does Lisi
Development do in this regard? What are the specific projects Lisi Development is involved in?
“Sustainable urban planning has been and remains a priority for our company since its inception.
A properly developed master plan and the 80/20 principle that we use distinguish the company from other real estate companies in the Georgian market. According to the 80/20 principle, 80% of our projects involve Greenery and additional infrastructure, while 20% involve residential buildings.
We are glad that we are ‘trend setters’ in the field of real estate. In 2010, when we started this project, we were the only ones who had developed such a concept. Lisi Green Town is still the only development company that maintains and implements projects on an 80/20 basis.”
Q: What specific elements of the urban agenda are particularly important for Tbilisi and why?
“The fact that a master plan of the city has been developed is a step forward for the proper development of the city. The priorities have to be greenery, parking, and traffic. However, all this is a living process and requires constant updating and strict control.”
Q: What are you doing to improve air quality and protect ecological spaces while developing urban constructions?
“As mentioned, Lisi Green Town is cultivated with low density. The maximum number of stores of the residential buildings at Lisi Green Town is 6 floors. When we started the project the Priority was planning landscape architecture, as a result a healthy micro-climate was created on the territory.
Till today we have planted up to 40,000 trees and seedlings in our area. We are glad that we are taking right steps in this direction and making this place desired for everyone with its special infrastructure. This is the result of consistency.
All this implies 70 m2 of greenery per capita, which is 7.7 times higher than the World Health Organization minimum standard and 1.4 times higher than the ideal standard. A healthy environment and location based on this principle creates fresh air that gives a temperature difference of about 3-4 degrees compared to the city center.”
Q: What activities can you name as an example of how you support urban development in Georgia?
“The fact that Lisi Green Town is today considered one of the greenest, most prestigious, successful and in-demand projects, is just the merit of proper urban planning and high quality, while years ago no one considered this place for living. Our example, I think, was a push for many developers to develop their projects along the same principle and not just build detached buildings.”
Q: How do you measure customer or employee satisfaction?
“Our sales process does not end after the product is sold. Our team members are in constant communication with customers. This applies to both future clients and people who have already purchased property in Lisi Green Town. We think that without feedback it is difficult to create a competitive product, especially a residential complex that is a living organism and is constantly in need of refinement and development.”
Q: Do you think urban development will restrict the movement of cars and what positive impact will this have on the environment?
“In general, the world trend is to reduce traffic and move to more environmentally-friendly transport. For example, as part of our project we installed electric chargers to encourage the usage of electric and hybrid cars amongst our residents.”
Q: Are there any plans to tighten architectural constructions in the future in terms of improving their visual condition and design?
“Our projects are distinguished by high international standard architecture. In order to keep the exterior outlook constantly maintained, a separate protection agreement is signed with each of our residents, which prohibits any changes.
In order to raise our standards, our project creates buildings with the involvement of such architectural studios as Architects.ge, UNStudio, Ricardo Bofill, and Architects of Invention. Our company has always been and will continue to be the bringer of high standards and innovations in the Georgian real estate market.”
Q: Is Lisi Development involved in CSR activities and what key projects would you outline in this regard?
“First of all, we believe that our social responsibility is reflected in the establishment of green approaches in the real estate market. Lisi Green Town is distinguished by the use of innovative and green technologies. Electric chargers for transport are installed in the area, electric bus is provided for the internal movement of residents and guests, rainwater is collected for irrigation, light sensors are installed in the entrances, and solar panels are installed.
In addition, we are involved in supporting environmental projects, activities to promote sports and healthy living, as these all reflect the values of our company.
As you know, on fo the largest recreational zone of Tbilisi is part of Lisi Green Town and company is developing these zone on annual baisi by adding green zones and different leisure facilities . We also help people with special needs, with the help of various foundations and organizations.”
Q: Parking is one of the biggest problems for the population today. Are there any plans to expand underground parking or build a multi-storey European-style carpark in future projects?
“Proper planning has enabled us to create complete comfort in terms of parking for our residents. In Lisi Green Town, in the first and second districts, there is more than 1 open parking space per apartment and an additional closed parking zone. And from the third district, the parking space will increase even more.”
Q: What is your opinion on foreign investments in urban development in Tbilisi and your future plans for Tbilisi’s urban development?
“Any investment attracted is very important for our city and country, especially foreign ones. The total investment of the company has exceeded USD 150,000,000. We continue to attract local and international funding to contribute to the development of the country’s economy.”
