Law No. 263-V On urban planning.

This Law establishes the legal, economic, and organizational foundations governing urban planning and construction activities in the country. Its primary objective is to ensure the creation of a safe, comfortable, and socially appropriate living environment while promoting the sustainable development of cities, towns, and other settlements. The Law defines key concepts such as urban planning activities, zoning, urban planning documentation, and state construction norms, and confirms the primacy of the Constitution and international treaties where applicable. It emphasizes environmental protection, rational land use, preservation of cultural heritage, and the integration of engineering, transport, and social infrastructure in territorial development.
The Law outlines the system of state regulation of urban development, clearly allocating powers among the Cabinet of Ministers, the authorized state body for construction and architecture, and local executive and self-governing authorities. It regulates the preparation, expert examination, approval, and amendment of urban planning documents, including national and regional planning schemes, master plans of settlements, detailed planning projects, and construction designs. Special regimes of urban regulation are envisaged for strategically or environmentally sensitive areas such as Ashgabat and Arkadag, protected natural zones, cultural heritage sites, free economic zones, and areas prone to natural hazards. The Law also establishes the State Urban Planning Cadastre as a public system for collecting and managing spatial and planning data.
In addition, the Law defines the objects and subjects of urban development activity, specifying the rights and obligations of citizens, developers, designers, contractors, and public authorities. It regulates land use within settlements through zoning categories (residential, public-business, industrial, recreational, agricultural, special, and suburban zones), construction rules, and authorization procedures. Provisions are included on public participation, access to information, servitudes, compensation for damages caused by urban development activities, dispute resolution, and liability for violations. Overall, the Law provides a comprehensive legal framework to balance public, state, and private interests in urban development while ensuring orderly territorial growth and protection of the living environment.