Urban Agenda 2013 (eng)

URBAN

AGENDA №2 / SPRING 2013

MOSCOW — THE MEGACITY ON A HUMAN SCALE Can an expanding city be comfortable?

MOSCOW’S NEW ECONOMY Innovations and a comfortable environment for business

THE LIVEABLE CITY Everything is changing: transport, industrial areas, and public spaces

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CONTENTS URBAN AGENDA №2, SPRING 2013

Urban

agenda publisher

Moscow Urban Forum NGO 22, Voznesensky Pereulok, Moscow, 125009 +7 (495) 788 35 84 www.mosurbanforum.ru director-general

Olga Papadina editor-in-chief

Alexander Ostrogorsky project coordinators

Maria Teplukhina, Alina Ryaboshapka

The magazine is created with the participation of the Expert RA Rating Agency and Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design The magazine uses materials from the brochure 33 Projects, Changing the City

by Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design on commission from MUF Published based on the materials of the Second Moscow Urban Forum held on December 4–5, 2012 afisha atelier

Afisha Company LLC atelier.afisha.ru Natalia Stulova, Anastasia Ukhina, Tatiana Knyazeva, Xenia Manohina, Svetlana Kantonistova, Milica Subotic photo agencies

Fotobank, Fotolink, Foto S.A., Diomedia, RIA Novosti, ITAR-TASS infographics

Andrey Moskovsky heritage kiss bespoke translations

Natalia Heritage, Kate Kiss printing

ABT Group Circulation: 1,000 copies The magazine is registered by the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Press, Broadcasting, and Mass Communications Registration certificate PI No. FS77–53488 since 04.04.2013

part 1 a vision of the future 6 Changing Moscow — Changing Russia 10 Money Well Spent 12 Backing Winners 14 Business Is Business 16 Alper Cugun 17 Simon Anholt

part 2 the master plan: “a blueprint” for city development 18 Plans in Motion 22 Moscow’s Future 24 Take It to the People 26 David Barry

part 3 a better city for a better life: the potential for development 28 Comfort Created through Diversity 30 Large-Scale Rebuilds 33 Don’t Wish on a Star 34 Likhachev’s Peninsula 36 Factory Decommissioning 44 Gert Urhahn

part 4 city communities and public spaces 46 Changing Meeting Places 50 Always Room for Gorky 54 Unity from Diversity 58 ArtKvartal — the Art Quarter 60 Tim Gill

part 5 a mobile, well-connected city: solutions to transport problems 62 The Rise of the Machines 64 Let’s Go! 68 Smart Traffic 70 A Farewell to Cars 74 Pierre Laconte 75 Paul Ostergaard

part 6 a city for a digital age: the potential of ict 76 Pan-City Monitoring 78 City Grids 80 David Munn

1

OPENING ADDRESS

THE ROUTE TO A LIVEABLE CITY These days, Moscow, which let us remember, is one of the major cities in the world, is developing fast. The goals and direction of its development formed the focal point of the discussions at the Moscow Urban Forum. This annual event was held for the second time in 2012. It has become an important, established platform where government officials, members of the business community, and respected experts can hold productive discussions. The central theme of this Second Moscow Urban Forum — “The Megacity on a Human Scale” — is relevant not only to Moscow, but also to many of the world’s other large cities.

Moscow’s rapid development in the private business sector, which began in the 1990s and continued through the first decade of this century, has, unfortunately, not been accompanied by a similar development in the infrastructure and public environment. The Muscovites themselves were the first to feel this imbalance. The urban community has made it clear that the ideology behind the development of the metropolis must change. Instead of creating isolated islands of wealth and prosperity in the city, it is essential that this high quality of living be spread throughout the city as a whole.

By incorporating new territories, Moscow has more than doubled its size. This unprecedented step grants the city exceptional possibilities in solving its accumulated prob2

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lems and for accessing its future development and longterm growth. These newly incorporated territories are the ideal locations for alternative and additional clusters of employment with centres for education, scientific research, sports and health care. On a cautionary note, however, these new territories must not be seen as an absolute panacea.

The “old” Moscow contains many “hidden” opportunities that will be revealed only if the right decisions are made.

A prime example of such a decision is the new approach to solving modern Moscow’s most complex problem, the transport infrastructure. To avoid impending gridlock, the city government has had to implement some tough measures. We revised our existing investor relations and terminated the contracts for the construction of a total of about 9 million square metres of floor space. Had we not, the traffic situation would have worsened considerably. All contracts were revoked reasonably, in good faith and the investors were reimbursed for their incurred costs. This permitted us to maintain and increase our previous levels of investment. As a result, investments in Moscow in 2012 increased by about 8.5 per cent. This is a tangible result of actions taken for the benefit of the city and a most acceptable one for investors.

We focused the city’s own resources, public money, on the development of the underground, the railways, the ground public transport and the road infrastructure. The budget for

Moscow’s transport infrastructure development programme for 2012–2016 is 2 trillion roubles.

Our first priority is the development of the Moscow Metro. In 10 years time, the length of the underground lines will be extended by 1.5 times — from 300 to 450 kilometres. The second priority is the development of a suburban railway service. The reconstruction of the Small Ring Railway has begun so that it may, for the first time, incorporate passenger traffic. The radial railway lines will be reconstructed inside the city and also at a distance of 10–15 kilometres from its borders where the railways are most crucial. In just two years we have radically upgraded Moscow Transportation Authority’s ageing fleet, which is the main carrier transporting passengers over land. We’ve developed large-scale programmes for road building and for reconstructing the city’s major outbound routes and are already turning these programmes into a reality. Most notably and for the first time in the history of our relationship with both the Moscow Region and Russia’s Ministry of Transport, we have managed to synchronize the work in the reconstruction of federal roads outside the city.

The modernization of the transport system is just one of 16 government programmes for Moscow’s development up to 2016. Other equally ambitious programmes are being implemented in the fields of healthcare, education, culture, the improvement of public spaces, and the creation of a mod-

ern system for the delivery of public services. People can now access information and monitor the progress of these programmes easily. As a result, the city’s budget is open and transparent. Step by step we are beginning to receive feedback from the public. To this end, online portals have been created where every citizen can submit a request, comment or complaint about the city’s services. The checklist of accepted complaints and suggestions is under constant review. Issues so far included are the cleaning and maintenance of communal hallways, the redecoration and maintenance of houses, road maintenance, the performance quality of health centres and so on. This feedback system allows us to overcome one of the main problems of any big city — the perceived gulf between the government and the public.

Our main goal is to transform Moscow into a liveable city.

I believe that our experiences of such large-scale work could be useful to other major cities and to our colleagues in Russia’s regions. We are willing to share our experiences and to learn from our colleagues and partners. The purpose of this Moscow Urban Forum is to promote constructive dialogue and practical cooperation between countries, regions and cities.

SeRgeI SOByAnIn, THe MAyOR OF MOScOW 3

ReaD us On iPaD uRBan

agenDa №2 / sPRing 2013

MOscOW — tHe MegacitY On a HuMan scale Can an expanding city be comfortable?

MOscOW’s neW ecOnOMY Innovations and a comfortable environment for business

tHe liVeaBle citY Everything is changing: transport, industrial areas, and public spaces

Megacities at HuMan scale A city’s success depends on its residents’ quality of life — that’s the reality in a post-industrial economy. The countries and cities that succeed are the ones that attract the most educated, creative and productive people.

We’ve inherited industrial-era cities, and that heritage is not confined only to industrial areas. An industrial megacity encompasses industries of transportation, housing, retail, health care, and education. An industrial megacity functions on a scale of millions, of armies, of large factories’ workforce — and all of those people require housing, infrastructure, and services. The city’s other functions are all secondary to the needs of industry.

A post-industrial city is a kaleidoscope of unique components. It has no primary function, but rather a great number of equally important ones. Individual production replaces industry of standard. Gigantic factories disappear, small online and offline stores tailored to fit special segments replace mega-stores, and personal fitness trainers replace mass sporting facilities. “Safety” comes to mean personal safety, not national security.

Local change replace strategic, large-scale transformations. “Healthy”, “safe” and “spectacular” are three key qualities that determine competitive power of a city.

A post-industrial megacity is a city of individuals, not masses; people, not armies.

Moscow finds itself at an interesting historic moment. Years of stability and economic development have led to higher living standards, and average salaries and quality of life in Moscow have come to resemble those in the developed world. Moscow has become a city of people whodemand much from themselves and their surroundings. On the other hand, the city’s environment and infrastructure have largely gone unchanged. The goal of this year’s Forum, titled “Megacities at Human Scale” is an opportunity to analyze management, economics and urban ecology through the prism of an individual.

Does transport change in a post-industrial city, or is this simply the last mass industry? Are there post-industrial living standards, and if so, what are the key performance indicators? Who are the agents of local change? How can we give people the opportunity to realize their potential in a way that also helps the city’s economy? What should be done with Soviet-era microrayons, home to 90 per cent of Muscovites today? What is public transportation on a human scale? What is the morphology of contemporary, urban communities? How are institutions of trust and competition created offline and online? What does globalization mean for the individual resident, and what is a comfortable global city? Why do people who are no longer linked to a single industry continue to live in the metropolis? Is this temporary or permanent? What lies ahead — a hypercity, or a global village?

Discussions on these topics, as well as analysis of local and international practices will allow development of practical approaches to make Moscow a city ready for the challenges of the coming century.

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PaRT 1 A vision of the future

CHANGING MOSCOW — CHANGING RUSSIA Transforming Moscow into a 21st century megacity is a challenging task, but at the same time it is a unique chance to speed up the modernization of the economy and society, and an opportunity to make the city, and indeed the entire country, a more congenial place to live.

WI N D O W T O T H E F U T U R E What is Moscow’s future? How should the city develop? Moscow is not the only city searching for answers to these questions. Moscow has become a global city and a fully participating member of the worldwide competition not only for investments, but also for talented, educated, and skilled people.

Today, worldwide, economic growth is ensured by urban populations. As a general rule, the more urbanized a society is, the richer it becomes. In Russia more than 75 per cent of the population lives in cities, therefore urban development should lead to the modernization of the whole country. Moscow accounts for over 8 per cent of the population of Russia (one third of the residents of the Central Federal District), 10 per cent of its jobs (including the lion’s share of highlyskilled and highly-paid ones), 18 per cent of retail sales, and nearly 7 per cent of investment in fixed assets. Moscow has the resources to be the first city in the country to take on the 6

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knowledge economy, to make high standards of living ubiquitous, to consult and involve local citizens in the management of the city, and to master advanced urban planning solutions. Another worthwhile goal would be to create and develop modern social, economic, and political institutions.

What position does Moscow hold amongst the largest cities in the world? Foreign participants in the Second Urban Forum referred to Moscow as “Europe’s largest metropolis”, “one of the six global cities of Europe”, “the capital of Eurasia”, and “one of the five most important places in the world”. The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) ranks Moscow 18th out of 178 world cities.

The Russian capital has already become one of the most important hubs of the global economy. Moscow’s Gross Regional Product (GRP) in 2011 was $320 billion, which puts the city in line with such highly developed urban agglomerations as Munich, Boston, San Francisco, and Houston. It is

Russia benefits from Moscow’s growing global influence

anticipated that in the foreseeable future, Moscow could be joining the leaders of the global economy. Over the past 10 years Moscow’s population has increased by 15 per cent, the volume of domestic product in the region has doubled, the quantity of housing grew by 14 per cent, the number of offices increased by 6.5 times, and available retail space increased by 3.5 times. In 2012 investment in fixed assets grew by more than 23 per cent.

However, when rated purely on quality of living, Moscow does not score as highly. Indeed, Cities of Opportunity, the study report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers’, ranked Moscow only 21st out of 26 cities.

According to this study, most of the capital has fallen behind in two categories: Safety, Health, and Security and Demographics and Liveability.

Every Muscovite can, from personal observation, perceive the disparity between economic development and quality

Architects’ innovative design of White Square Business Centre incorporates attractive public area

The skyscrapers of Moskva-City have become the new symbol of Moscow; growing fast and energetic, but not very people-friendly

of life without having to consult statistics. However, it is not an obvious conclusion to draw that redressing this imbalance would allow Moscow to compete better with other metropolises. Nevertheless, quality of life is so crucial that it should be an important objective of urban policy.

DISSaTISFaCTION SPURS IMPROVEMEN T To some degree, a successful economy would enable Moscow to tackle this problem of quality of life. Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Mayor for Urban Development and Construction, says: “Moscow’s middle-class earns as much as many Europeans, but the quality of our urban environment is still objectively lower than that of many European cities. Despite the massive and financially solid demand for high-quality transport, housing, holiday, health-care, and entertainment, an adequate response to these demands is desperately lacking.”

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PaRT 1 A vision of the future

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An even greater market lies in the as yet unsatisfied public demand for political and administrative resolutions.

In the past two decades many of Moscow’s problems were caused, not by the city management’s faulty decisions, but by the absence of any decisions at all. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, “Two years ago, the Mayor’s office was criticized for doing nothing. Today, we are criticized mainly for the fact that we don’t do enough, or, conversely, do too much. The public believes both. There are also those who believe that we are doing everything wrong.

That’s okay too. We are now rarely criticized for being too passive or for failing to solve the problems of Muscovites.

In order to implement the ideology of development we have had to apply new principles of city management. Over the past two years, the size of the administration of the Mayor’s Office and the Government of Moscow has decreased by one-third, with the personnel of Government almost entirely replaced. The Moscow City Duma had passed the 8

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law on the return of direct election of the Mayor of Moscow. Local elections have taken place. The influx of new people with fresh views has reenergized the office. Local government and municipal administrations have received additional authority and significant financial resources to tackle local issues. City authorities have become more transparent.� (For further reading on the programme of involving Muscovites in the management of their city and the creation of technological facilities for that purpose, see page 76.) To illustrate the struggle that Moscow faces in restructuring the city so that it may become a more pleasant place to live, here are a few examples. In order to transform the overall transport situation, the Moscow City Government had to take a number of radical measures. The existing investor relations were reviewed and hundreds of construction contracts were terminated. Had they not been, the potential construction

IN RUSSIA, MOSCOW ACCOUNTS FOR 10 PER CENT OF ALL JOBS, 18 PER CENT OF RETAIL SALES, AND NEARLY 7 PER CENT OF INVESTMENT IN FIXED ASSETS of these buildings would have aggravated the traffic situation further. The total area of these cancelledbuildings would have been 9 million square metres (97 million square feet), or the equivalent of 30 New York Empire State Buildings. All contracts were revoked reasonably and in good faith and the investors were reimbursed for incurred costs.

Many of them were offered areas for new construction.

In the past two years, Moscow has given much consideration to public transportation. This is fully consistent with the world’s current view on urban development priorities.

Close attention is being paid to the free flow of traffic. Traffic jams cannot be eliminated but their impact can be minimized through avoiding the leading causes. The city has concentrated its own investment on the development of public transport, construction of the underground, and road infrastructure. Major urban motorways are currently being reconstructed, dozens of kilometres of new underground lines are being built, new flyovers, tunnels, and pedestri-

Moscow’s new road programme battles 50-year legacy. Is it solving the problem? Hardly

an crossings are under construction, and express lines are being allocated for buses and trolleybuses. (For more details on transport development in Moscow see page 62.)

The most striking example of how, in a relatively short time, the proactive actions of the city government can significantly improve the quality of the urban environment, is the development of public spaces. Every artificial ice rink or landscaped and revamped park improves the urban environment and social climate. “Guided largely by people’s suggestions, the government of Moscow began the revival of public areas.

Within two years, 50 parks have been renovated and re-created and thousands of courtyards and common areas have been landscaped. These works have been carried out with a new regard for quality. In parks and in courtyards, sport and fun playgrounds have been set up and outdoor exercise equipment has been installed. In winter months ice rinks are made and ski tracks are laid out. The city has improved lighting for pedestrians, initiated projects to create pedestrian-only streets, and is dealing with the problem of car parking. More than 200 thousand new trees and shrubs have been planted in Moscow over the past two years. All these improvements are gradually creating a new atmosphere in the city,” said Sergei Sobyanin. (For more on the development of public spaces in Moscow see page 46.)

EX P a N S I O N P R O B L E M S The extension of Moscow’s borders by incorporating neighbouring territories of a total area of 148 thousand hectares (366 thousand acres) was a major step in the development of the city. If the New Moscow could create enough jobs, that in itself would solve many problems. If these jobs were taken up by those already living in the area, that would reduce the amount of people commuting between Moscow and its regions.

A development concept for the Moscow agglomeration is currently in composition and it is aimed specifically

at this topic. The newly incorporated territories are to be designed under a totally new planning policy resulting in the creation of a polycentric city. The concept of the urban development of the new territories is based on three principles: a polycentric system (creating new centres of employment and dispersing human and transport streams); a reduced-impact, low-density development; and an emphasis on applying new technologies in construction as well as in the economic development of new centres. “In addition to the historical centre, which clearly provides more than its fair share of jobs, Moscow should see a number of alternative clusters of employment. Created in these territories will be new business, scientific, education, medical, sport, and leisure centres,” Mayor Sergei Sobyanin emphasized. According to Deputy Mayor Marat Khusnullin, “the development of new areas has colossal potential, and the realization of these developments will frame our approach for the coming years.” By the end of 2014, a largescale and far-reaching master plan will have been prepared for the development of old and new areas of the city.

OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS THE POPULATION OF MOSCOW HAS INCREASED BY 15 PER CENT, HOUSING BY 14 PER CENT, OFFICE SPACE HAS GROWN BY 6.5 TIMES, AND THE VOLUME OF LOCAL PRODUCTION DOUBLE 9

PaRT 1 A vision of the future

MONEY WELL SPENT The primary target of the Moscow budgetary policy is to create an urban environment that will allow the Russian capital to compete successfully for the most educated, skilled, and talented people.

DE S I R E V S R E aL I T Y The population of Moscow is ageing. This is another problem facing the city’s administration. Maxim Reshetnikov, Moscow Government Minister and Head of the Department for Economic Policy and Development, estimates that the number of working-age people in the capital by 2025 will have decreased by nearly a million. In the foreseeable future, Moscow’s budget will face two opposing objectives: to maintain and improve the quality of life for the elderly; and to implement social and economic modernization. The main protagonists in this programme will be young people.

In order to solve these problems, it is essential and a matter of priority both to fund programmes that promote a comfortable environment in the city and to stimulate the creation of new and more productive jobs. The intention would be that these higher-value jobs would be able to compensate for the reduction of the working-age population. As already stated above, according to forecasts, by 2025 the pool of working-age people will be reduced by about one million.

However, the municipal budget for social spending should not be cut drastically or rashly. As noted by the Second Moscow Urban Forum, the funds spent on solving social problems are an investment in the trust between people. Without this trust it would be impossible to advance in other areas.

An analysis of the Moscow budget strategy revealed that 90 per cent of the Russian capital’s treasury expenditure was for government programmes, the purpose of which

BY 2025, MOSCOW NEEDS A DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERN TO AVOID A WORKFORCE REDUCTION OF ONE MILLION 10

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was to enhance the standard of living in the city. These programmes are targeted at: developing the transport system and building new roads; improving education, healthcare, culture, sports, tourism, and leisure; enhancing social protection and increasing affordable housing; developing and modernizing the utility infrastructure; and incorporating energy conservation.

QUaLITY OVER QUaNTITY Over the past half-century, the majority of well-developed megacities have been achieving stability in their municipal budgets primarily by reducing dependence on tax income from large, corporate businesses, by increasing their revenue from the income and property taxes of their citizens, and by enlarging the tax revenue from small- and medium-sized businesses.

This kind of redistribution places new demands on the quality of the tax administration. Although tax collection is a priority, it is almost equally important to have a bank of reliable and responsible taxpayers. In Moscow, this would require an openness on the part of Muscovites to declare their wages and an increase in tax compliance on the part of small businesses. This has become all the more essential after changes in the federal law. Due to these changes Moscow lost a significant part of its tax revenue from a number of large companies. According to Maxim Reshetnikov, a recent law on the consolidated group of taxpayers (CGT) took about 44 billion roubles ($1.4 billion) from the city’s budget in 2012. This is as much as 8 per cent of the total tax revenue.

In recent years, Muscovites have finally realized the need to pay taxes. Next year, for the first time, the income from the collection of TIPI (Tax on Individual Person’s Income) will be the largest source of Moscow’s budget revenues. Concurrently, we must be mindful that drawing attention to tax compliance will automatically trigger the public to demand a more efficient and transparent use of funds by the munici-

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Democratic spending decisions in Porto Alegre don’t prevent quality architecture

pality. The citizens should be given the opportunity to ascertain exactly how their money is spent. Transparency of the Moscow budget is a necessary condition to encourage twoway communication with its citizens, using, for example, tools like the e-Government.

The increased confidence of the citizens in city government and the formation of a society of responsible taxpayers can be achieved by the devolution of the authority over the budget to municipalities. This is where the city authorities have work to do. Tatiana Grekhova, a member of the municipal assembly for Presnensky (intra-city) municipal unit, says, “the quality and quantity of municipal services that could be covered by the district budget, do not depend at all on the contribution made or that which could have been made by the residents of that area to the formation of the budget.� With the development of local governments in the capital, this imbalance will inevitably become more and more obvious.

ON B U D G E T , T H E B R a Z I L I a N W a Y The city of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil is known worldwide as a pioneer of participatory municipal budgeting based on a national discussion. The locals have been involved in the management of the city budget since 1989.

Despite having an education of a higher than average level for Brazil and also an increased life expectan-

cy, the gulf between the quality of life for the rich and the poor citizens in Porto Alegre was large. About one-third of the million residents lived in slums. In trying to cope with this problem, the administration offered the citizens an opportunity to participate in the management of the budget; the part dealing with urban improvement and construction, etc. The system that was proposed at that time is still in use. Each year, many consultation sessions take place, from large regional meetings to workgroups on specific topics. Each district suggests projects that are needed locally and also citywide programmes.

On the basis of these recommendations, the city administration forms the final budget. The officials have the right to initiate a discussion and may also revise certain ideas, but they cannot simply reject the suggested programmes out of hand. The process engages about 40 thousand residents in total.

In the early years the city was able to solve many of its key issues. There are now almost no areas left without a water supply, the amount of social housing has increased, and spending on education and health is up.

Since then, the system of participatory budgeting has been put into practice by 140 other Brazilian cities. Other countries are also investigating this system. In September 2012, a pilot project of participatory budgeting was launched in New York.

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PaRT 1 A vision of the future

BACKING WINNERS Only by betting on innovative industries and the knowledge economy will Moscow be able to achieve a breakthrough in its development.

VLaDIMIR MaU, ECONOMIST “the structural transformation of the economy is not in maintaining traditional industries, but in shifting to industries that will shape the future of the world’s economy.”

IN 20 YEARS, MOSCOW’S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY HAS SHRUNK TO LESS THAN 50 PER CENT OF GRP. THE SERVICE SECTOR HAS GROWN TO OVER HALF 12

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WaY TO GO Over the past two decades, Moscow’s post-industrial economy has been developing, and now the manufacturing sector provides less than 50 per cent of Moscow’s gross regional product (GRP). More than a half of the GRP is formed by the service industries. At the same time, the high technology sector in Moscow’s economy, the development of which is fundamental for competitiveness, is still relatively small. The main engine driving the growth of the city’s economy is still the dormant investment and retail markets, i.e. trade in all its formats, and the consumer service industries, which were poorly developed in the later Soviet Moscow.

One cannot enter the circle of global leaders with a slow economy. We must begin to form a modern post-industrial society, in which major roles are played by education, health, finance and science. “It is clear that the structural transformation of the economy is not in maintaining traditional industries, but in shifting to industries that will shape the future of the world’s economy. This is the transformation of industrial societies into post-industrial ones, where society is much more demanding, critical, and individualistic,” said Vladimir Mau, Rector of the Russian Presidential Academy of the National Economy and Public Administration, at the Second Moscow Urban Forum.

Moscow enjoys alternative retail formats. Factory finds new use as design centre Artplay

SO U R C E S F O R G R O W T H If, during the next 10–15 years, the city develops as it should, the proportion of its economy will grow considerably in such sectors as: business services (including design), services in the field of secondary and higher education, health care, and financial services. Moreover, the energy industry, aerospace technology, biotechnology, and the media industry will be developing to the same high standard as the global level. At the same time, the size of the sectors defining Moscow’s current economy such as technological forms of trade and consumer services, transportation, and communications, are likely to fall by 10–20 per cent, despite the fact that they are still developing unabated.

In order for Moscow’s economy to shift onto new, postindustrial tracks, the institutional environment should be improved and favourable conditions for the conduct of business created. It is necessary to promote the sector of highly remunerative intellectual business services with a low capital and energy intensity (engineering design, IT, marketing). This can be achieved through the redevelopment of industrial zones, the development of high-tech industrial clusters, chain business, and franchising in retail and consumer services. With the assistance of the State government, Moscow can provide support for the demands of innovations, including new methods for addressing

Artists blazed the trail in factory reclamations.

Winzavod, still inspirational after 5 years

the infrastructure and the social problems of the metropolis. For Moscow’s economy to become post-industrial, another important factor would be encouraging innovations through city procurement; for example, computerizing the city. aLLOCaTION aND REMOVaL De-emphasising businesses which produce low added value, and c losing down large-scale industrial factories which are not directly aimed at meeting the needs of the city and its residents, will lead to major changes. At the Second Moscow Urban Forum it was estimated that this process could cause the loss of one million jobs. Significantly, the number of businesses creating a growing demand for lowskilled migrants, should decrease as well. “Mass production which does not serve the needs of the city, cannot be the fulcrum of Moscow’s industrial development,” stressed Vladimir Mau. On the other hand, according to experts’ estimates, refocusing Moscow’s economy onto the knowledge industry and high-tech industries, is necessary not only to modernize the existing workplaces but also to create 1.5–2 million new jobs. This will provide a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the Russian capital, and will stimulate the economy of the entire country.

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PaRT 1 A vision of the future

BUSINESS IS BUSINESS It is difficult to be an entrepreneur in Moscow, more difficult than in other Russian cities and much harder than in most other comparable national capitals. The financial health of the city and, consequently, its quality of life depend on whether this situation can be changed.

BO T T O M O F T H E L I S T By the second half of the 20th century, Moscow had become an industrial city that relied on its manufacturing industry to advance its economy. This meant large factories, each employing thousands of people, and making each area of the city dependent on a single enterprise. This was consistent with the spirit of the state-planned economy which loved large numbers. Today, the Russian capital is transforming into a post-industrial city and overcoming the numerous obstacles in its path. Trade, service, and knowledge-intensive industries have become the main engines driving economic development. Both the consumer and job markets have begun to fragment with smaller niche businesses evolving, each with their own needs and requirements, and the effects of these are spreading throughout the city.

With this dynamic in place, a blanket, centralized, statecontrolled approach will fail as the businesses are too numerous and diverse. The priority now is to concentrate on the quality of the business environment. This would allow all the stakeholders to evolve, compete, find new markets, and meet the needs of the city’s residents. In return, the city achieves a stable, expanding, and diverse tax base.

Of course, there are still many unsolved problems.

In the World Bank’s Doing Business report of 2011, which ranks economies by assessing the regulations affecting domestic firms in the countries’ largest business cities, Russia is ranked 120th on the list. It is placed behind not only the countries with mature economies, but also behind such countries as Jamaica, Mongolia, and the Czech Republic. Moscow remains a difficult city in which to run a business. Just the process of getting connected to the electricity grid takes an average of 200 days and until quite recently a construction licence could rarely be acquired in under a year. This affects not only the businesses themselves but also the residents of the city. Consequently, the retail sector in Moscow lags behind that of most other European cities. Moscow has 743 square metres of retail floor space per 1,000 inhabitants, whereas, for example, Kazan, Tatar14

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stan’s capital and largest city, has 961 square metres. Moscow is undersupplied with shops and lacks diversity in its retail formats.

SYSTEMaTIC aPPROaCH The first measures applied by Moscow’s new government did not inspire confidence in the local entrepreneurs. In late 2010, a well-intentioned and ambitious programme was launched to impose order on Moscow’s small-scale retail trade. Its aims were to eliminate illicit trade and to free up space for the improvements of the streets and squares, etc., but the programme ended up being dubbed “The war on kiosks”. The business community sank their heads in dismay. It seemed as though the city had no interest in small to medium-sized businesses. “Unfortunately, the attempts to promote a “continual dialogue with business”, a handson approach to reducing the number of barriers to entry for new businesses, plus the downside of communicating with the regulatory authorities, did not achieve significant results,” said Andrei Sharonov, Deputy Mayor for Economic Policy, at the Moscow Urban Forum. He added, “Moscow is an attractive metropolis for investors, but at the same time it is not the easiest place for entrepreneurial activity. One of the key elements of the entrepreneurial development of Moscow is that the dialogue between business and the state should reach balanced, systematic, but sometimes unpopular decisions. Due to the conflict of interests, it’s not working out yet. Moreover, there are no clearly-defined mechanisms for interaction between business and the state.

We are striving to develop uniform standards for the support of small to medium-sized businesses in Moscow.”

The transition to systematic control began with the adoption of the programme “Promotion of Economic Activity” which was aimed in a number of key directions: developing small to medium-sized businesses; stimulating industrial development; developing wholesale and retail trade and catering and consumer services in the city; developing innovations; developing the job market; and transforming Mos-

cow into a leading international financial centre. By 2016, according to the authorities, the programme will have increased the Gross Regional Product (GRP) by 30 per cent, GRP per capita by 25 per cent, the investment in fixed assets by 1.5 times, industrial production and commodity turnover by 35 per cent, and real wages by 31 per cent. Furthermore, an office has been created to protect the rights and interests of business entities. At first, the office acted as a sort of “first aid” unit, but it has gradually evolved into a body that carries out the systematic work of prioritizing and improving the city’s business climate. It does this by reducing the costs of entrepreneurial activity, simplifying the administrative procedures, giving greater access to the infrastructure, and developing a competitive environment.

the city is holding back the growth of tariffs so that they remain below inflation. The city supports businesses directly as well. In 2012, 870 million roubles ($27.7 million) were spent supporting small to medium-scaled enterprises, and 2 billion roubles ($64 million) were spent supporting large manufacturing companies. The money was used to subsidize lease payments, to support interesting projects, and to modernize production.

A professional training programme for entrepreneurs has been completed by 7,200 people. They have been reimbursed with at least half of their total training costs. This fresh approach is demonstrated clearly in the new regulations governing the setting up of seasonal cafés or summer terraces by restaurants.

UP E I G H T P O I N T S Meanwhile, there have already been successes, some examples of which follow. The number of procedures needed for connection to the electricity grid has been reduced from 10 to 5, using the “5 Steps in 3 visits” programme deployed by the Moscow United Power Grid Company. A company can now register itself in 6 steps, 2 procedures fewer than before. The waiting time for a construction licence has been reduced fourfold and can now be granted in 105 days.

Tax exemptions for innovative companies are being developed; they will remain in force over the next 10 years. Tax exemptions are already in force for the management companies of technopolises and science parks, and their “residents”. Companies that rent offices in these innovative clusters pay no property tax, and their income tax is paid at a rate of 13.5 per cent, whereas other businesses pay 20 per cent. The main “headaches” for most entrepreneurs are the fluctuating tariffs of utility services which make planning economic activity difficult. A long-term planning system for tariffs is still in development, but in the meantime

MOSCOW IS UNDERSUPPLIED WITH SHOPS AND LACKS DIVERSITY IN ITS RETAIL FORMATS Previously this required dozens of permits, each needing to be applied for annually. Under the new regulations, the number of permits is the same but they are valid for much longer than a single year. This has had an immediate effect with the number of applications to open a terrace or café increasing by 30 per cent. Whether these measures improve Moscow’s business climate or not depends on the city’s resolve and consistency in changing the business environment and on the types of adjustments the federal government intends to make to support business and economic modernization. Meanwhile, in just two years Russia has climbed 8 positions in the Doing Business ranking, moving from the 120th to the 112th spot. There is still much work to do.

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PaRT 1 A vision of the future

“DO WHAT IS IMPORTANT” Alper Cugun, board member of The Open State Foundation (Netherlands) says that such a large and complex city as Moscow would benefit from opening up its processes to civil activists.

— Citizens in Russia have limited access to the system of governance. Have you ever faced a similar problem? What are your methods of working with such unwieldy structures as city administrations?

— With our administration, and it is as cumbersome as yours, we used a simple method — we ignored it and did what we considered necessary. We started off as a voluntary and rather marginal initiative group, without clear objectives or results, but we had a clear idea of what a perfect future would look like. This allowed us to create a wide network of keen people who took the idea of a better, transparent government and distributed it across the board. Since then, we have continued to fight for change.

At first our success was patchy, but slowly but surely we succeeded, and now we run such projects as the Apps for Amsterdam, a competition for mobile applications that use open data. This works for any civil initiative: start with what is important for you, work on it, and at some point you will create a new reality which any administration will benefit from joining.

— In your opinion, how should the management of the city change in the next 50 years?

— I hope the city administration will become more flexible, and that people will be able to interact with city services and facilities in the way and form that is convenient for 16

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them. Managers will still be required to serve the needs of the citizens efficiently, and in time, the city’s bureaucracy will become more transparent.

— What opportunities do you see in Moscow?

— Such a large and complex city as Moscow can only benefit from sharing the information about its current programmes with civic activists. This could be done through using a special mobile telephone application. Anyone would be able to share in the work of improving the city. Citizens’ initiatives would overlap, achieving more jointly than singly. Despite the fact that mobile applications are not widely used, and although the government does not welcome its citizens’ initiatives, it is better to start immediately. Experiments don’t cost much, but the benefits from their use over time will only grow.

“EXPERIMENTS ARE CHEAP BUT CAN LEAD TO HUGE BENEFITS”

“MOST COUNTRIES GET THE IMAGE THEY DESERVE” “A city should be interesting to people from any part of the world. It should be beneficial and memorable,” says Simon Anholt, an independent policy advisor from the UK and bestselling author of Brand America.

— What kind of tool is “nation branding”? Can a country control its own image and reputation the way corporations do?

— First of all, I must say that even though the term “nation branding” was introduced by me in 1998, I do not really like it. The word “branding” seems to contain a hidden promise that one can magically fix the reputation of the city or the country by spending a lot of money on marketing. In the real world that’s not the way it works. In my over 20 years’ experience in this area, I have not seen any corporation or country able to correct its international reputation through marketing communications. So now I prefer another term — “competitive identity”, which covers how cities and countries behave in deed and not in name, their influence on the development of humanity, the planet, the neighbouring countries, and people around the world. This is the only way to a good reputation, and it is impossible to “cut corners” on it.

— If you were invited to come up with a brand for Moscow — what would you suggest?

— There is no need to come up with an idea and to build the brand of a city or a country based on it. First you need to determine what role Moscow plays in Russia and how it contributes to the world’s development. Moscow’s reputation will be enhanced if people are pleased that such a city exists, and that fact cannot be achieved by the use of cre-

ative ideas and communications. A city must be eager to ensure that it is useful to people, both at home and abroad.

Of course, modern technology can assist with this with advances in attracting tourists and investments, motivation for talented people, the organization of major events, cultural exchanges, foreign policy and so on, the list is long.

In other words, the city should be arranged in such a way to be interesting to people from any part of the world, to be useful and memorable.

— What does it mean today “to be interesting” and “modern”? Some countries want to be economically successful, but are still interesting to people for their contrasting unspoiled old-style look.

— Fortunately, in the current phase of globalization, alternative concepts of prosperity and well-being are beginning to emerge. The Anglo-Saxon model of aggressive capitalism is no longer the only one. “Modernity”, as a concept, implies compatibility with other cultures and nations, since globalization has become a given. As a matter of fact, at the moment, tolerance is probably the most universal value. Its distribution is closely related to education. Intolerance is the result of ignorance. The realization of this simple fact shows us in which areas humanity needs to progress faster and how this progress could be achieved.

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PART 2 THE MASTER PLAN: A “BLUEPRINT” FOR CITY DEVELOPMENT

In the Master Plan of Kyoto one of the main goals of all planned changes is the congruous development of both the city and its inhabitants

PLANS IN MOTION Anyone with at least some interest in urban development knows what “a General Plan” means. However, what “the Master Plan” stands for is familiar only to a few.

DE B A T I N G C O N T R O V E R S I A L T E R M S During the past 10–20 years, the approach to strategic urban planning has changed greatly due to urban development studies. As a rule, the strategy documents created by urbanists today differ from the traditional notions of social and economic development, urban development, etc. The new plans adopt a broader vision and incorporate fewer details, but at the same time they have a higher level of conceptualization. The Master Plan and similar documents are focused primarily on the methodology of implementing long-term strategies. They are no longer merely architectural and construction plans, but rather socio-political and ideological documents. The Master Plan for the city is a kind of “blueprint”, a consensus model that incorporates the vision of the 18

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The “IdeOLOgIcAL” SecTION Of The MASTer PLAN hAS Three MAIN ObjecTIveS city’s future as seen by its inhabitants, government, and business, and to some degree, by construction developers. In the Master Plan, the city is not an object, but rather the subject of a transformation, active and open for dialogue.

PARTS OF THE WHOLE Typically, a Master Plan begins with the description of the ideological, strategic and political aspects of life in the city and includes the narrative of the city as a social system. This description commonly consists of a manifesto, which is a declaration of the basic values and priorities in the development of the city, its mission, a vision of its future through the eyes of its inhabitants, and a list of the main objectives of the development during the forecast period.

Take, for example, the Master Plan for Kyoto (Japan). The city’s mission is described as follows: Kyoto is “a centre for the free cooperation and interaction of world cultures”. Such a definition is, in itself, an innovation for the traditionally introspective national consciousness of the Japanese. The “ideological” section of the Master Plan has three main objectives: ‣ “Living in Harmony and Peace” — all citizens, regardless of age, social status, length and place of residence, should be able to live an active life in harmony with the environment; ‣ “A Thriving City” — a vibrant metropolis that preserves the look of its traditional, historical streets and retains the atmosphere of its 19

PART 2 THE MASTER PLAN: A “BLUEPRINT” FOR CITY DEVELOPMENT

Singapore is a truly futuristic city. Implemented IT is at its core

old courtyards but puts great emphasis primarily on new, high-tech, types of small businesses, business start-ups and innovative youth centres; ‣ “Trust Between Citizens” — safety, personal involvement, mutual assistance, and a philosophy of active participation in city life and in politics. Citizens are involved and included in the work of becoming a cohesive entity, and their creativity is maximised for the benefit of the city’s progress.

The economic programme of the city’s development is another important part of the Master Plan. During the past 10 years, it has been customary to bet on the “new economy”: information and communication technologies, energy-saving productions and innovations, etc. The Master Plan of Singapore is a good example of such an approach.

In this plan, the socio-economic development of the city

Computerization of city life brings many advantages.

An example: to manage traffic, use IT not people

is closely connected to the introduction of information technology solutions into all areas of life. This introduction would require: the creation of ultra-fast and reliable infrastructures to advance the use of information technologies; the development of world-class industries based on advanced information and communication technologies; the creation of conditions for the recruiting and training of competent, professional specialists; and the introduction of new technologies into key sectors of the economy with the combined participation of public, government, and private services.

Another essential part of the Master Plan is the development of the engineering, energy, utility, transport, and telecommunication infrastructures. In this part, for example, one can learn about a new take on transport as part

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JONATHAN WOETzEL, DIRECTOR AT MCKINSEy “The Master Plan is a flexible document, not set in stone. It should regularly be reassessed with regards to the challenges of the environment.”

Baltimore wants to blur the boundaries between residential, business, and blue-collar areas. The city port’s structure will have to change too

of the social system of the city. The introduction into a city of alternative forms of transport help to link up its areas and increase the accessibility and traffic capacity of the urban space. For example, Baltimore’s Master Plan suggests a diversion from the outdated model of fixed zoning in the city, whereby public, economic, social, leisure, and other forms of activities are found in different areas. Instead, the Master Plan seeks to create a city where most of the inhabitants do not have to drive across the whole city to go to work, to study, or to be entertained.

A FLUID MASTER PLAN Although a Master Plan is a grand overview that does not contain too many details of urban planning projects, at the same time it incorporates in its strategy specific solutions for city planning. Summarizing the global practice of designing Master Plans, Jonathan Woetzel, a director at McKinsey who spoke at the Second Moscow Urban Forum, named six key elements of successful urban planning. “First, you need to identify the fast-growing areas and assess the infrastructure, transport and utility services, job creation possibilities and the environment conditions. Second, develop a concept, goals and objectives for the future city. Third, understand how these concepts will connect

SERGEI KUzNETSOV, CHIEF ARCHITECT OF MOSCOW “As a single drop of water reflects the entire structure of the ocean, the same way each building site of the city should reflect all the principles of the Мaster Plan.”

with the specific design plans. Fourth, correlate the plans for specific areas with the general urban plan. Fifth, understand what data collection methods are to be used: digital and satellite systems; science-based approach; etc. Last, the sixth, remember that the Master Plan is a flexible document, not set in stone. It needs to be updated with the involvement of the public, businesses, and government institutions.

It should regularly be reassessed with regards to the challenges of the environment.”

The Chief Architect of Moscow, Sergei Kuznetsov, explained his opinion visually. “Just as a single drop of water on a molecular level reflects the entire structure of the ocean, so every single plan designed for a particular city area or a small neighbourhood should reflect all the basic principles incorporated in the Master Plan”. For example, the principle of the priority of walking distance requires the monitoring of the existence of the correct number of shops, cafés and restaurants, chemists, medical clinics, and schools in each area. The same principle dictates the structure of the neighbourhoods and their sizes. Thus, compliance with this principle shapes the contents of any urban planning document and, ultimately, “should result in the creation of a comfortable city, or, in plain language, a city in which we could be happy.”

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MOScOw’S fuTure In 2014, Moscow will have its own Master Plan, a document that will define the development of the city for years to come.

What kind of future does it offer the Russian capital?

RE D U N D A N T P L A N S As recently as 2010, after many long and heated debates, an updated General Plan for City Development was created for Moscow. This plan did not last for the following reasons.

First, by July 2012, the area of land being used by the Russian capital had expanded about 2.5 times using as much as 148 thousand hectares (about 366 thousand acres).

Around 100 million square metres (more than one billion square feet) of new buildings are expected to be constructed in this new area. Secondly, although approved as recently as 2010, the General Plan has already become outdated. According to this document, the residential population of Moscow would reach 11.5–12 million people only by 2025.

Moscow already has 11.6 million residents, and an additional 1–2 million commuters travel to Moscow each day.

The previous General plan did not take into account a number of other needs of the growing city. For example, 40 per cent of jobs are concentrated in the centre of Moscow while less than 9 per cent of citizens reside there. The demographic trends of the Russian capital were assessed incorrectly, as was the forecast for budgetary expenditures and the city’s potential. In short, the General Plan has become out of date without ever having been relevant. The Moscow authorities have decided to begin a large-scale project on designing a new strategy for the city’s development. This strategy should be reflected in the Master Plan.

CIT y F O O T I N G S Before proceeding with the development of strategy documents for the Russian capital, experts have looked at foreign experiences. According to Karima Nigmatulina, the 22

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Head of the NIiPI General Plan of Moscow, “the experience of 14 major, world-class cities was considered and studied to understand how they master the process of strategic planning. These cities are from Asia, Europe, North and South America”, she said.

The research has helped to identify six key elements in the system of urban planning: ‣ The identification of the borders of the territory for planning purposes and the mechanisms of coordinating the interaction and cooperation between the city and the agglomeration; ‣ The structure and scope of the development’s concept; ‣ The objectives and principles of the strategy of the spatial planning; ‣ The process and organization of the development of the spatial planning; ‣ The principles of analysis and modeling; ‣ The control over the implementation of the spatial planning and over the realization of the strategic objectives.

The analysis of the world’s finest examples of urban planning also enabled a fresh look to be taken at the closely interrelated issues: the quality of housing; the availability of social services; the efficiency of public transportation and the transport infrastructure in general; and the economy, ecology, and culture. The Master Plan should incorporate the main principles of the socio-economic strategy of the city’s development, the concept of the Moscow agglomeration, the development plans of the industries and particularly, the best parts of the General Plan of 2010.

Without this, it would be impossible to create a truly comprehensive document, in which the salubrious development of both the “old” and the “new” Moscow would be incorporated.

INSPIRING CITIES The future Master Plan will be based on the idea of a polycentric system. A good example of the implementation of this idea is the projected plan to create a new administrative and business centre near Kommunarka village. Currently, the plan in this area is to build about 3 million square

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A Master Plan must incorporate into a single idea the change in the city’s appearance, the development of the transport system, and the socioeconomic objectives

metres (over 32 million square feet) of property and to create jobs for about 200 thousand people. The new neighbourhoods will reduce the stress on the historic centre of Moscow. Additionally, the reduction in the number of commuters will ease the burden on the public transportation system and road network.

This development should, in return, allow a more sustainable improvement of Moscow’s historic centre. Significant progress in this direction has already been made, according to Marat Husnullin. Recently, the municipal authorities terminated the investment contracts on the construction of 1.3 million square metres (nearly 14 million square feet) of property in the city centre.

Another important principle of the Master Plan is the change of priorities in the transport infrastructure. Pedestrians and public transportation are paramount and vehicular traffic is channeled into a reasonable framework. In compliance with this principle, 150 kilometers (93.2 miles) of new underground lines will be built, the length of the railway tracks within Moscow’s borders will be increased by 200 kilometers (124.3 miles), and an additional 220 kilometers (136.7 miles) will be built in the Moscow region. Over the next 8–10 years 255 major transport hubs will be constructed. Of course, this does not mean that the road network will not be developed, but the modernization and improvement of the existing roads and motorways and the construction of the new ones should be approached rationally. The opinion of the residents of the areas undergoing the reconstruction of the road network must be taken into account as much as possible. The Master Plan should also maximize the use of the territory of the industrial zones, their revitalization and integration into urban life.

The city authorities have set an agenda to plan the reconstruction of almost all the existing industrial zones of the city over the next five years. Some zones will change their function and some will remain industrial.

Sergei Kuznetsov, the Chief Architect of Moscow, holds that during the creation process of the Master Plan, some principles should be observed: territories should be divided into private and public domains; each district should be self-sufficient, not just a “dormitory suburb�, i.e. each

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KARIMA NIGMATULINA, HEAD OF THE NIIPI GENERAL PLAN OF MOSCOW “The experience of 14 major, worldclass cities was considered and studied to understand how they master the process of strategic planning.�

MARAT KHUSNULLIN, DEPUTy MAyOR OF MOSCOW FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION “The number of vehicles in Moscow has exceeded the level of 380 cars per thousand residents.�

district should serve the maximum possible number of functions; and segregation between less developed and “elite� districts should be avoided.

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TAKe IT TO The PeOPLe It is impossible to become happy by force.

Therefore, even the most advanced and progressive plans to transform cities require comprehensive public discussion.

RE G I O N A L R E F E R E N D U M S International experience shows that the most important element of urban planning consists of the mechanisms that help to form urban communities. The intention is that these communities will take care of the future of the city. Many overseas Master Plans suggest fostering the citizens’ development though education, culture and art. These ideas correspond with the requirements for sustainable development of the modern city and the preservation of the environment and social responsibility. These requirements must take priority over the interests of individual citizens or businesses.

The city is a complex self-developing system, relying on the interweaving of many private and public interests.

Taking them all into account simultaneously is not an easy task. An efficient approach to the development of urban space requires an active and genuine commitment to public involvement in the development of all plans. Public consensus is an important requirement in the implementation of accurate and evidence-based city planning and management decisions. We need to find effective mechanisms for involving citizens and experts in the life of the city.

This requires the city administration to use social studies to survey public opinion on all development plans and to hold municipal or regional referendums on key issues.

This work should be carried out continuously by, for example, combined municipal and community commissions.

These commissions can hold authority over the management of the part of the city budget used to co-finance urban development programmes with private sources, such as donations and sponsorship.

Of course, such an approach to urban management significantly extends the time needed for the completion of the design plan and for the various concurrent reviews. However, it allows the city to garner the consent of the majority of urban communities for the actions of the municipality.

The role of the people’s involvement in defining the future of their city is illustrated by the below examples.

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SERGEI SOByANIN, THE MAyOR OF MOSCOW “According to various estimates, between 40 to 60 per cent of the adult inhabitants of the metropolis would be interested in offering their ideas and helping to manage the implementation of a variety of projects. For Moscow, this means that the city administration would be able to rely on the support of one to three million citizens. Largely based on the suggestions from these citizens, we have started the revival of public spaces and, in the space of two years, have remodelled and re-created 50 city parks and landscaped thousands of Moscow’s courtyards.”

ANDREI SHARONOV, THE DEPUTy MAyOR OF MOSCOW FOR ECONOMIC POLICy “The role of the local governments in Moscow needs to be expanded, as does the role of citizens in defining the priorities of the urban policy and in monitoring the execution by the city authorities of their responsibilities.”

SVETLANA RAzVOROTNEVA, EXPERT “In Russia, institutions are beginning to sprout which will help to organize the public discussions of the life of communities and neighbourhoods. We are talking about Community-Based Self-management (TOS). The range of problems that can be sorted by TOS are wide: the improvement of local territories; the maintenance of housing stock; helping those in need; public safety and many more.”

◀ The Dudley Street neighbourhood has a population of about five thousand people and is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city ▶ The Mayor of Bogota (Colombia) dismissed corrupt traffic police and 400 of the 3,200 dismissed officers were retrained as mime artists. The mime artists playfully demonstrate the correct way to behave in a city to people on the streets

MIME ARTISTS NOT TRAFFIC WARDENS Enrique Peñalosa, who was elected the Mayor of Bogotá (Colombia), population 8 million, in 1997, managed to transform the Colombian capital in three years. His team was able to guide the city’s evolution from degradation to development. Some of the finished projects completely changed the face of Bogotá and became a case study for cities around the world. The new Mayor’s urban planning philosophy was to create a city that respects human dignity. One of the ways to reach this objective was to establish public spaces in which all people are equal. Parks and alleys were laid out throughout the city. The expropriation of land from elite private clubs was the most significant social battle of the Peñalosa administration. This land, which was in the city’s centre, surrounded by densely builtup areas, became a public park. A lot of land has been purchased in the periphery of the city. The slums in the centre of Bogota were demolished. The El Cartucho neighbourhood, home to two million people, used to be controlled by drug traffickers and for a long time served as a border between the rich north and the poor south of the city. In the space of one year it has transformed completely and has become the San Victorino Plaza.

It is only fair to mention that Mayor Enrique Peñalosa had a worthy predecessor — Antanas Mockus, a former rector of the National University of Colombia. Antanas Mockus had aimed to change the morals and behaviour of the city’s inhabitants. Among Mockus’ unconventional ideas, one worth mentioning, is the introduction of the citizen card system. Cards, red on one side and white on the other, were distributed among citizens and used to show approval or disapproval of actions — particularly those of car drivers.

Cardboard cutouts of police officers were placed along the streets behind which either ordinary citizens or real policemen could be hiding. Twenty mime artists demonstrated to passers-by the correct way of behaving in a city. The idea

of mime artists on the roads proved to be so successful that Mockus dismissed corrupt traffic policemen and 400 of the 3,200 dismissed officers were retrained as mime artists. As a measure to prevent street violence, the Mayor set a curfew for nightlife establishments at 1 a.m. He also launched educational campaigns in schools and prisons.

NEIGHBOURHOOD CLEANUP THE AMERICAN WAy The Dudley Street neighbourhood in Boston (USA) has a population of about five thousand people and is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city. In the 1980s, the city had no money to build new homes, to renovate schools, or to develop public spaces. Realizing that the situation had become desperate, the locals decided to take the development of the neighbourhood into their own hands and in 1984 formed The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI).

DSNI’s first step was to organize a major cleanup. Thanks to this the neighbourhood got rid of its several large illegal waste dumping sites and the Dudley residents began to think about ways of using the vacant space. Two years later, the citizens offered Boston City Hall a comprehensive plan for revitalization of the area which included: constructing new affordable housing; reopening a formerly closed railway station; organizing a farmers’ market; and much, much more. The theory behind the work of the Initiative was the notion of an urban village, where individual economic and social interests are interconnected with the interests of the community. The most important types of services, including secondary education and health care, are within walking distance. Today, the neighbourhood has two small factories, a theatre, a cluster of small art galleries, and even a recording studio. The monies needed to accomplish most of the major projects were raised by DSNI from private and public funds. The schemes used to bring the changes to the neighbourhood are now becoming important in the development of the greater Boston.

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PART 2 THE MASTER PLAN: A “BLUEPRINT” FOR CITY DEVELOPMENT

grASSrOOT INITIATIveS david barry, a British creative and economic adviser, social project and media producer, expert on urban renewal and citizen involvement, CEO at David Barrie & Associates, believes that the best way to involve people in the city’s management is to ask them about the problems in the area in which they live, to ask them to share their ideas, and to discover if they’re willing to do something to improve the situation.

— The long period of forced collectivism killed in many russians the desire to interact and do things together. Only recently are people beginning to feel the need to communicate. Some are involved in the book-exchange in cafes; others are growing flowers with their neighbours in courtyards. how can people be helped to bond?

— Experts in urban design and social development know many ways to encourage cooperation between people.

To begin with, people need the opportunity to meet, and to exchange ideas and opinions. It is necessary to create networks which will help people join forces and run their own projects. In my opinion, building a community begins with selecting a common goal, the implementation of which requires the community to work in coordination and interact with the city administration. The community must find ways to participate with municipal government. This can be achieved through the creation of business projects, the foundation of non-profit organizations, the cooperation with the municipalities and landowners 26

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with whom the negotiation for the use of abandoned buildings can be agreed, and so on. The main thing is to understand what a “community” means. It would be a mistake to assume that a “community” is simply a group of citizens.

In my view, a community is formed where a type of organization of citizens is present, whether it is entrepreneurial, religious, or other. A community can be roughly thought of as a “market”, and the people and their associations as “consumers”, “manufacturers”, i.e. participants in “economic” relations. The result of a “production” activity of the community is the creation of such values as improved social conditions, increased land value, and the growth of the local economy.

— Many people prefer to shy away from making decisions about their own lives. how can the residents of certain neighbourhoods be encouraged to be active?

— The city should begin by asking people about their neighbourhood problems. It should request that they

“TOdAy, wheN gLObALIzATION, bIg cOrPOrATIONS ANd brANdS INfLueNce Our LIveS, LOcAL vALueS ANd cONNecTIONS Are OfTeN cOMPLeTeLy IgNOred”

share ideas and discover if they are willing to do something themselves to improve the situation, without relying on someone from “above” to come and solve all their problems. If the residents show a willingness to do this, they can be offered suggestions to act upon, helped with ideas for a project and assisted with bringing it to life. At the stage of implementation, they may need centralized help from the city government or private business. Nevertheless, it is important that the people should organize everything themselves. These people do not necessarily have to be local activists; they may be ordinary people, who simply want to do something using their own hands. It is important that local municipalities, politicians and businesses are interested in supporting the initiatives from “below”.

Often people feel like they need a sort of “permission” to cooperate with each other; an external validation of their actions, a public approval of initiatives and a certain climate in society.

— what is most difficult in working with local communities? what is the purpose of your activity?

— The main goal is to support the growth of the local economy. This is important because large investments are often dependent on local requests and on the health of the local market. Today, when globalization, big corporations and brands influence our lives, local values and connections are often completely ignored. As a result, the capacity of local markets is reduced, resulting in a destruction of local connections. Our primary goal is to make the local economy attractive to its participants and potential investors. Today bureaucracy is flourishing at a local level. The officials firmly control all the initiatives “from below.” At the same time, the local level has a vast economic advantage. In my experience, I saw many occasions in the UK and abroad when small and inexpensive local projects became a magnet for high-volume investments.

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COMFORT CREATED THROUGH DIVERSITY A perfect Moscow would be a city that incorporates all that is best from its own history and the best global experiences in urban development. The image of the renewed city should be defined by high-quality and diverse architecture.

HE R I T A G E : T H E B E N E F I T S A N D D R A W B A CKS Sergei Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow, speaking at the Second Moscow Urban Forum, said that up until the early 20th century, Moscow used to have all the traits of a normal European city with a very well planned layout. The city was built up district by district. Each district had nearly all the necessary services within walking distance. The principle of diversity in the architecture, “a new building — a different façade”, was maintained; the ground floors were designed to accommodate shops, workshops, etc. The Moscow of those days was advanced not only in comparison to other Russian cities but even compared to European cities. For example, up to three quarters of the inhabitants of old Moscow lived in multi-family dwellings (“dokhodny dom” in Russian, i.e. tenement houses). As a result, people could change their place of residence easily following a change in workplace. This trend reduced the pressure on the city’s transport.

These principles in the city’s building development remained in place until the second half of the 1950s. As the industrial era of the Soviet Union began, a dramatic change occurred in housing development. Since the 1960s, the city has built only monotonous houses; the courtyards with small close-knit communities became a thing of the past and the so-called “dormitory suburbs” appeared.

Today’s Moscow is a bizarre hybrid of two entities: the unfinished “example communist city” and the metropolis, which for the past 20 years has developed according to the chaotic rules of so-called “wild” capitalism. From the “com-

munist” Moscow, the city has inherited huge industrial zones, which split it into different sections. The young, “capitalist” Moscow has inherited its developers” focus on making a fast buck.

Since the collapse of the USSR, Moscow has lost a great deal of its industry, but that has not affected the city’s layout or its approach to construction. The urban fabric is still made up of the areas used for different functions: work is in one place (the excessive development of office space in the city’s centre is similar to the industrial zones of the Soviet times); living quarters are in another (“dormitory suburbs” continue being built even now); and entertainment and leisure are in a third (there are not enough entertainment venues on the outskirts of the city, and in the centre there are too many). Further development of the city and its territories using this approach would be unwise.

MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY GIVES LIFE TO DISTRICTS, BOTH DAY AND NIGHT

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FROM MONO TO STEREO The comfort of the urban environment can and should be improved using advanced principles of urban planning.

Modern concepts in city-planning recommend building areas with a compact and multi-functional structure where all the necessary services, from shopping to education and healthcare facilities, would be within walking distance.

The adoption of such an approach in building can solve several problems. Commuting would not be necessary. Jobs would be created directly in the residential are-

AlExEY KOMISSAROv, HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE, INDuSTRIAl POlICY AND ENTREPRENEuRSHIP OF MOSCOW “It is a mistake to have singlefunction areas. Districts must live both by day and by night.”

Life around the Moscow Conservatory never stops.

By day — offices, banks, and shops: by night — cafes, bars, and nightclubs

as. The problem of parking would be partially solved: spaces occupied by the cars of office workers during the daytime, could be used by the residents of the neighbourhood for their cars at night. Today, a single area may contain residential housing, offices, entertainment venues, shops, and even industries. Multi-functionality in building development creates a new living environment; more diverse, with more advanced communications. According to Alexey Komissarov, the Head of the Department of Science, Industrial Policy, and Entrepreneurship of Moscow, “It is a mistake to have areas focused only on a single role in the city.

Districts must live both by day and by night.” Multi-functionality in building development also engenders a largescale renovation and consolidation of numerous industrial zones into unified urban space. Thus “mono-play” areas should change into “stereo-play”.

“In a comfortable city”, adds Sergei Kuznetsov, “pedestrians must become a priority. We do not achieve this by preventing everybody from using their cars and public transportation and making people walk everywhere, but by making long-distance travel unnecessary. A prerequisite to this should be the multi-functionality of each area.”

quality can be achieved even on a tight budget and it is not necessary to discard the precast concrete panel construction technology. Vladimir Plotkin, Chief Architect of the Reserve Creative Production Enterprise, says, “After all, concrete panel sectioned houses continue being built even in rich Western European countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and Finland. Of course, these countries use a new generation of panel construction technology. But what prevents Moscow from doing the same? For standard housing to become beautiful, comfortable, and flexible, it is necessary to use high-quality designs and to involve large architectural design bureaux, scientists, economists, and sociologists.”

Sergei Kuznetsov agrees with Vladimir Plotkin and says that a fresh approach to standard housing will help change the look of the neighbourhoods. People will no

OVER TWO THIRDS OF THE BUILDINGS IN TODAY’S MOSCOW WERE BUILT WITHOUT FLAIR

EN J O Y B E I N G D I F F E R E N T The European experience demonstrates that contemporary urban development can be both densely populated and comfortable, and the diversity of designs in architecture does not have to equal high construction costs. Building a faceless house and an unusual one can cost the same. Decent

longer feel as though they are walking through a tunnel or the bottom of a canyon; courtyards will be more appealing. The ground floor spaces will be given exclusively to restaurants, shops, and a variety of public establishments. The design of the precast panel constructed houses will be different. “The large-scale but diverse constructions will allow Moscow to restore its character, making it a city which both cherishes its centuries-old history and looks to the future with exuberance”, Sergei Kuznetsov says confidently.

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Artplay carefully transforms 75,000 square metres of an industrial area into an architectural design cluster.

Almost two-thirds of the space have been redeveloped already

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LARGE-SCALE REBUILDS The modern industrial zones of Moscow occupy vast territories that have been inherited. They do not serve the interests of the city. Yet, those same industrial zones are one of the main reserves for the city’s development.

I T I S TIME In New York and the major cities of Western Europe, redevelopment of industrial zones began as early as the 1970s. Now Moscow must tread the same path. “Industrial zones contain huge potential for urban development in Moscow. The simplest way would be to build up the land with housing, but we would rather not go this way.

Industrial zones would be improved by replacing them with new-generation industrial parks. The “residents” of these parks would be high-tech companies with highly qualified staff. In Moscow, industrial parks are to be established on both city-owned and private industrial zones”, says Alexey Komissarov, the Head of the Department of Science, Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship of Moscow.

The majority of participants in the Second Moscow Urban Forum are confident that Moscow’s industrial areas have great potential. There are officially 209 industrial zones in Moscow. They occupy an area of nearly 8 thousand hectares (almost 20 thousand acres). With the addition of all the enterprises that are located beyond these zones, the total area of industrial buildings amounts to 15 thousand hectares (about 37 thousand acres). As a point of reference, the entire area of Paris is 10.5 thousand hectares (almost 26 thousand acres). Grigory Revzin, an architectural critic, believes that a sim-

ilar excessive growth of manufacturing “characterized European cities before the Second World War. It is impossible to imagine a similar situation in a modern metropolis. The development of the industrial zones is long overdue.”

Many of Moscow’s industrial zones constitute “grey areas”. Most factories do not produce anything and have ceased to operate as intended a long time ago. Their buildings were taken over by car repair shops, warehouses, offices; in short, anything goes. Some of the factories’ buildings have been abandoned and are now ideal locations for filming horror and disaster movies.

The owners of such properties regard them only as land with potential for redevelopment.

The industrial zones undergoing transformation and reconstruction can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

In some cases the demolished factories have been replaced with neighbourhoods made up of modular houses constructed from precast concrete panels.

Some factories were reconstructed and turned into modern business centres, such as the project “Stanislavsky, 11” (for more information on this project see below). Some of them became creative sites and art clusters such as Winzavod, Artplay, Arma, Krasniy Oktyabr, and Flacon. Now these areas are home to show-rooms and art galleries, and the office spaces are rented by companies and bureaux related to art, media, 31

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architecture, design, and education.

Today, these art clusters are amongst the most vibrant places in Moscow; the best exhibitions, lectures, and theatre premieres take place here. However, the downside to this is the segregation of the majority of the redevelopment projects of the industrial zones, both completed and under construction. The factory is transformed but without regard to the surrounding space. “There are two radically different approaches.

One of them was quite popular in Moscow a few years ago. Factories were bought, the manufacturing was relocated and new homes were built. This approach has resulted in overpopulated neighbourhoods replacing former industrial zones, and now we are experiencing numerous problems, including those related to transportation. Using the other approach, the industrial zones kept their manufacturing function. The overriding tactic should be to create some kind of conjunctive use,” Alexey Komissarov explains.

OF F I C I A l S S E E K T H E R E I N S O F PO W E R To a degree the reason for such a bleak situation is the fact that the city government has a very limited set of measures for influencing the owners of the industrial zones. These measures include only the abolition of the privileges granted to factories, the repeal of benefits on land leases, and charges for environmental pollution.

In 2012, environmental charges resulted in the closure of just one major industrial operation, the Yuzhny Port cement works in Moscow. There is one further type of punitive measure, which can be taken towards factory owners. According to Andrei Sharonov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Economic Policy, it is the penalty for change of use. In practice, however, this measure is not used because the legal procedures for inflicting such a penalty 32

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“When we began designing the redevelopment of ZiL’s site, we were informed that the density of the development should equal zero”

and establishing its validity are exceptionally complex and poorly worked through thus far. There is no existing comprehensive legislation on the adaptation of industrial monuments for other purposes. The revitalization processes are further complicated by the requirement to alter the status of the land from one category to another.

The vast majority of developers run into the problem of transport access.

It is one thing to provide access to the factory gates for employees, but a different story to create a proper transport infrastructure for a multi-functional area. Yuri Grigoryan, an architect and the head of the architectural bureau Megan, says, “When we began to design the redevelopment of the site of ZiL (the Moscow truck and heavy equipment manufacturing factory named after its director Ivan Likhachev, or Zavod imeni Likhacheva) we were informed that the density of the development should equal zero, because the traffic capacity of the area had already been filled. Any project of revitalization, whether it is comprehensive, amalgamated, or piecemeal, will butt up against the limitations of transport.” Yuri Grigoryan stresses that transport is just the most obvious example of the need for cooperation between the city’s authorities and developers on the transformation of the industrial zones. According to Grigoryan, the revitalization of industrial zones is “a good platform for a combined government and private business partnership and for the establishment of trust between socie-

ty, business and government. If everything is entrusted to private enterprise, with whom does the responsibility lie for the protection of public spaces and for the public interest?”

A CITY IN MINIATuRE Moscow’s authorities are aware of the complexity of the problem and are already in the process of forming a common ideology which will be used to sculpt the approach to the industrial areas’ redevelopment. According to Alexey Komissarov, the city’s administration has certain principles in this area. “The first principle is that the reorganization of industrial zones does not mean removing manufacturing from Moscow. High-tech operations can and should stay in the city. The second principle is that modern manufacturing facilities should be more compact. The third principle is that we should aim for a multi-functional use of the reorganized areas. The fourth principle is that this task needs to be dealt with comprehensively and in an integrated manner. Moscow is facing a transformation in the appearance of its industrial zones.”

Sergei Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow, said that a correctly reorganized industrial zone should act like “a city in miniature”. “There must be: a properly joined-up transport infrastructure; places where people can live, work, and fulfil their recreational needs; medical centres and schools; and cultural and sporting areas so that all the elements of a full life can be found.”

Olympic venues (such as Zaha Hadid’s Aquatic Centre in London) are often built by famous architects, but this is no guarantee of longevity

DON’T WISH ON A STAR Richard Tibbott, Chairman of Advisory Services, Cushman & Wakefield, Moscow, believes that the revitalization of industrial spaces is surrounded by a mass of harmful myths.

O

n the matter of the regeneration of industrial zones, success depends on how quickly the government, businesses, and local communities can agree on a regeneration strategy. Myths and false stereotypes abound, forming a hindrance that can bring the dialogue to nothing.

There are ten harmful myths. The first myth is that a project of revitalization is easier to implement outside the city limits than within. In my experience this is not true.

The second myth is that only independent developers can carry out highquality projects. An example to refute this is the Olympic Park in London which replaced an industrial area in East London and was commissioned by the State. More than 200 businesses were relocated. The cost of the development of the area came to $3 billion.

The project was completed six months ahead of schedule, and the final budget was $750 million less than planned.

The third myth is that the regeneration of industrial areas can be financed the same way as ordinary real estate

developments. The construction of a residential area or office complex cannot be compared with the revitalization of industrial areas. We are talking about completely different planning parameters. It often takes five years to complete the construction of a residential area or office complex project, but the regeneration of an industrial area takes up to twenty years. A long-term reconstruction of industrial zones gives a much better return.

The fourth myth is that the private sector will finance the infrastructure.

In fact, this is the task of the State. If we force businesses to invest billions of dollars in the construction of roads and utility lines, the duration of a project will expand significantly.

I will finish the rest of the myths in a few words. The fifth myth: the improvement of public spaces can be left until later. The sixth myth is to stick strictly to the plan on the assumption that it can withstand any economic fluctuations. The seventh myth is that the city can handle the project unassisted. This is not

true. The municipal budget usually fails to cope with such an additional load. The city needs the assistance of some development corporations, which have a clear strategy and the funds for infrastructure.

The eighth myth is the need of a large-scale project to have a hit. I will quote just two figures. Both are related to the projects in Cardiff, Wales, UK. The construction cost of the Wales Millennium Centre was $350 million and that of the Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre was $600 million. Both projects became a source of pride in Wales. In my opinion, a little piece of the big pie is better than a big chunk of the little one.

The ninth myth is that there is a need for the development to have a unifying theme. This is ridiculous; a development should be multi-functional. Finally, the last myth is that the first thing the development project needs is a star architect. I believe that it is more important to create favourable conditions and an atmosphere for success, rather than to hunt for a prizewinner.

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LIKHACHEV’S PENINSULA One of the biggest transformations of Moscow’s industrial zones is planned at the site of Zavod imeni Likhacheva, more commonly known as ZiL, the manufacturing factory named after its director Ivan Likhachev. The authorities consider ZiL to be a pilot project for the redevelopment of other industrial zones in the Russian capital.

D

uring the era of the Soviet Union, the ZiL factory was one of the world’s largest manufacturers of mediumsized trucks and heavy equipment. The factory is situated on a vast area of 450 hectares (11 hundred acres) just 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the Kremlin. Now, only the Cyclopean shops and floors of the ZiL factory, some of which have historical and architectural value, remind us of ZiL’s great past.

ZiL stands out among Moscow’s many industrial areas because of its unique ownership structure. This vast territory has only one owner, the Moscow Administration. This is why ZiL must become the benchmark in the conversion of the industrial heritage of the city.

Over the past 20 years, the factory ran up debts of a billion dollars. In 2011, Moscow held an international competition for a concept to develop the ZiL territory. It was won by the architectural bureau Project Meganom under the

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leadership of Yuri Grigoryan. According to Yuri Grigoryan, the design is based on principles that can be used in redeveloping other industrial areas of the Russian capital. He says, “[The industrial areas] must have parks. It is important for the city to seek out openness. Public spaces should not become closed enclaves or clusters. Building development should be diverse in terms of functionality. An effort should be made to divide the project into smaller ones and to engage different developers to work on the same territory with the city government serving as coordinator. Redeveloped territories should not be separate but, on the contrary, should connect adjacent areas of the city and serve the unity of the urban fabric. The design process should include not only the work of architects, but also the work of multi-disciplinary teams that are able to engage the community, associations, businesses, and people of varied employment and different professions.”

THE WINNING DESIGN DIVIDES THE SITE INTO FOUR UNEQUAL SECTORS

According to the winning design of the redevelopment of the ZiL territory, the site will be divided into four unequal sectors. Each of these sectors will have its own function. Nagatinskaya Pojma (the Nagatino floodplain) will remain as a park, but new premises for outdoor recreation will be built. The park will be accessible by city rail. Approximately one third of the territory will remain industrial, and 50 billion rubles ($1.6 billion) will be spent making the production units more compact. It will remain as a vehicle production industry. Contracts with several foreign companies were signed for the period to 2024. The production lines are expected to manufacture about 100 thousand vehicles per year. The concept of “production as a visual performance” will be applied. Residents will be able to watch the work of the assembly lines and the production of new cars through purpose-built glazing. Another part of the ZiL territory will become an industrial park. In this area the project NAGATINO i-Land has already been developing for the past

few years. Finally, housing, other offices, and cultural infrastructure will be grouped in the northern sector.

The area will be connected to the rest of the city by pedestrian-only bridges across the Moscow River. An ice-hockey arena and football stadium will be built. It is assumed that the project will be implemented in stages. To begin with, the existing buildings should be reconstructed, then, gradually, new buildings will be added. The phased schedule will help ZiL avoid becoming one huge building site, and will keep some space for living and working. The old buildings will serve as artists’ studios, cafés, and galleries.

In the future, a miniature city should appear here. New property of 3.65 million square metres (over 39 million feet) will be added to the existing buildings, which in some cases will be only partially preserved. When completely developed, The Peninsula will be home to over 38 thousand people and the workplace of 43 thousand people.

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FACTORY DECOMMISSIONING Modernization, robots, IT technology, and the expansion of the share of the service sector in the economy of the city have led to the abandonment of entire areas and factory buildings constructed over the past two centuries. The modern world has accumulated a great deal of experience in transforming and revitalizing former industrial areas.

BE A u T I F u l G A S W O R K S In the 19th century, in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, four big coal gas factories were built: the Eastern, the Western, the Northern, and the Southern Gas Factories.

Gas was extracted from coal and was used for street lighting. By the late 1950s, the production of gas by these factories was reduced and in 1967 stopped permanently. The buildings were used for storage and as workshops. Only in the early 1990s was Westergasfabriek, the Western Gas Factory, handed over to the city. This opened up 14 hectares of land (about 34.6 acres); 13 wonderful examples of European industrial architecture; a canal stretch and a section of railway. The new development plan for the area was to be designed within a year, and during that time the buildings would be rented out to various cultural projects. However, it took more than ten years for the plan to be designed, and throughout that time the former factory was used for fashion shows, discos, exhibitions, and festivals. In 1997, a competition for redevelopment was held and the winning project selected.

The environmental part of the project was the most difficult and expensive. Over the decades the site of the Westergasfabriek had been contaminated by heavy metals and other waste. This problem could not be solved completely and the contaminated part of the land had to be covered with an insulating material. A layer of new soil was put on top. Work took over six years. The park was opened to the public in 2003 but was fully completed only in 2005.

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ON THE WATERFRONT Waterfront Toronto is an organization founded by the Canadian government and the administration of Toronto in 2001.

The organization was created to oversee, design, and implement the waterfront’s renewal. In 25 years’ time, 8 hundred hectares (nearly 2 thousand acres) of the brownfield sites on the waterfront must be transformed and become the part of the modern city. Serious research preceded the start of this activity. This research, in particular, indicated that public spaces would play a key role in determining the direction of the waterfront development. In 2006, an international competition for the design of public space in the centre of the area was held, and 38 teams entered the competition, including Foster and Partners design practice.

The judges awarded the competition to the team led by West 8, an award-winning international office for urban design and landscape architecture with its head office in the Netherlands. It was recognized that the project granted equal importance to the development of the waterfront and to the boulevards and squares further away from the sea.

The implementation of the plan began once all the details were clarified and all the interested parties, including the local residents, businesses, and developers, consulted. The completion of the project is scheduled for 2015, but the first changes are already visible. There are three new wooden quays with a total area of nearly 2 thousand square metres (21.5 thousand square feet), and five new wooden bridges.

Today it is one of the most popular public spaces in the city.

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK HAS REPLACED A RUNDOWN INDUSTRIAL PART OF LONDON AND IS NOW THE LARGEST URBAN PARK CREATED IN EUROPE IN OVER 150 YEARS

The main venue of the London Olympic Games was built on the site of warehouses

The cultural programme has helped return the Westergasfabriek to the people of Amsterdam

Ol Y M P I C A l B I O N The Olympic Park in London, UK, was created for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The execution of this project has become an example of a successful revival of a depressed city space, which used to play a significant industrial role in the past, and its transformation into a beautiful public venue. After the Olympics the park was renamed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and is the largest urban park created in Europe in over 150 years.

The concept of the park was based on the rehabilitation of the natural landscapes of the area. The land was heavily polluted after years of industrial use. The primary measures were soil decontamination and clean-up of the land, wetlands, and the riverbed of the Lee River, a tributary of the Thames.

Another important problem solved by the architects was the long-term development of the park after the Olympic Games. Subsequent use of Olympic facilities is a headache for every single organizer of the Olympic Games. Failure 37

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to address this problem may lead not to a revival, but to the degradation of the area built-up for the Olympic Games (for example, the Olympic venues in Beijing, China). In London the Olympic Park, now the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is being re-fitted for public use. It was decided to create a longterm plan for the development of areas adjacent to the Olympic Park. New residential and commercial areas will be built, which will provide a high quality of life due to their proximity to a large public space with well-developed infrastructure.

In addition, a gradual expansion of the area of the Olympic Park into the green-lands situated in this part of London is planned, transforming it into a bigger park in the Lee valley.

Bu I l D I N G A C I T Y P O R T The HafenCity (port-city) project in Hamburg, Germany, is a most ambitious project to transform an industrial area in modern Germany which is one of the largest in Europe.

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In 1999, the Senate of Hamburg announced a competition for the development and regeneration of the old port area 155 hectares (383 acres) large, located almost in the centre of the city. The Master Plan for the area, designed in 2000, was based on the concept that amidst densely built residential, business, and commercial buildings, the area must have venues with an informative and entertainment function.

This would turn HafenCity into the city’s cultural core.

The areas that make the HafenCity project distinct are the well-designed mechanisms for attracting investors and the ways in which the Mayor’s office can oversee the project.

For example, the office development sites may be used for a period of 1 to 1.5 years. During this period, the potential investor pays only 1 per cent of the site value but is obligated to hold a competition for the architectural design of the area, to order all the necessary surveys of the site, and to file an application for construction activity. If the required

TO ACCELERATE THE RECONSTRUCTION OF HAFENCITY IN HAMBURG, DEVELOPMENT SITES ARE GIVEN TO POTENTIAL INVESTORS FOR A PERIOD OF 1 TO 1.5 YEARS AT JUST 1 PER CENT OF THE SITE VALUE

Many European cities face the task of turning their ports into modern urban areas. But how?

actions are not completed in time, the land would be taken away and given to another investor. If the project is running successfully, the full costs will be incurred only at the start of the construction activity. Sites for residential development are sold on a competitive basis, but preference is given to the investor offering the most interesting and diverse designs for the area that would best meet the needs of different democratic groups.

The total cost of the project is €6.3 billion. Today, approximately 15 per cent of the project has been implemented.

The revitalised port is already home to 1.5 thousand people, and is the workplace of six thousand more. Completion of the project is scheduled for the 2020s.

EA S E l S N O T C H I M N E Y S In Britain, the industrial cities of Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield, etc. are known as the “birthplace of capitalism”.

These former industrial areas are being transformed into artists’ settlements shared by entrepreneurs. The British call these neighbourhoods Creative Clusters.

In some cases, these clusters are homogeneous, i.e. they combine enterprises of the same type of activity, for example, multimedia or design. In others cases these clusters are intentionally multi-disciplinary. Sometimes the clusters have a predominately manufacturing function, hidden from the eyes of passers-by, but often with an added presentational role. Thanks to this role, items of creative work enter the public space in the form of designer clothes and furniture stores, galleries and showrooms, concert and theatre venues, etc. The general idea is that a lot of small, independent, creative companies are compactly arranged in a certain area of the city, where, as a result, an original and very attractive creative environment is created and complemented by the special atmosphere.

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LOW-RISE HOMES HAVE NARROW FACADES AND ARE ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER. SUCH PLANNING DECISIONS ALLOW HIGH DENSITY DWELLINGS WITHOUT COMPROMISING URBAN QUALITY OR COMFORT

All this is possible provided that the development of the creative industries is a priority acknowledged by the city authorities. First, in order to implement these kinds of projects successfully, it is necessary to have well thought-out procedures and support measures: reduced rent rates; systems of small loans; venture investment funds; and regular advisory help for small businesses on business issues. Secondly, an important element in the support programme is that of dedicated agencies that serve as intermediaries between the communities of creative entrepreneurs and the city officials. The role of these agencies is to strike a balance in this complex, dynamic, but at the same time, fragile system. In the North West of England, where Liverpool and Manchester are situated, the development policy of the creative industries is carried out by the North West Development Agency (NWDA), a specially tailored government organization. This agency cooperates closely with independent non-profit organizations that 40

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work directly with creative clusters at the local level. For example, in Manchester the Creative Industries Development Service (CIDS) is such an organization. Similar independent agencies are operating in other cities, including small ones.

WATERFRONT NEIGHBOuRHOODS In 1989, the Amsterdam municipality decided to remove the old port warehouses which were located on the two peninsulas of the Borneo-Sporeburg area in the immediate vicinity of the city centre. This area was considered to be industrial and without prestige, despite the fact that the centre of Amsterdam is less than a 15 minute bike ride away. Originally, it was thought that 10–14 storey houses could be built on the peninsulas, taller than Dutch people are accustomed to. However, research showed that these apartments would have to be sold cheaply. The Dutch do not like high-rise buildings despite the shortage of land and the high density of the population.

In Amsterdam, people appreciate diversity. It is inherent in historical centres but seldom achieved in new neighbourhoods.

Borneo-Sporenburge manages to stand out

After lengthy and detailed research, architects managed to find a clever and elegant solution to the problem. They came up with a way for neighbourhoods of three-storey buildings to provide a larger number of flats than high-rise buildings.

In fact, a new type of housing was invented — “the low-rise, high-density housing”.

The solution was as follows. The rectangular peninsula was divided into four lines of townhouses. A wide boulevard was laid out in the centre. The boulevard has playgrounds and parking for visitors. The two inner lines of houses face this boulevard. Houses on the outer lines face canals and have waterfront access. The space between the outer and inner lines has been compressed so much that instead of a street this space becomes a narrow chink just wide enough to let the light into the rooms on that side and to have space for an outside table and chair. The low-rise houses have narrow façades and are adjacent to each other. Such planning

decisions achieved a very high density of development, on average 100 houses per 1 hectare (2.47 acre). Despite the area being so densely built, it is not to the detriment of the comfort and quality of the urban environment.

The Borneo-Sporenburg is built up with several types of houses. First, there are three 7–10 storey apartment blocks with courtyards, towering above the low-rise buildings. These buildings have anything but a simple design.

The façade finish of one of them, the Kit, looks as if it is covered with fish scales. It has parking spaces on the first four floors and the residential floors are above these. Secondly, there are townhouses with guaranteed patio spaces. The territory was intentionally apportioned to different developers in small lots. This tactic resulted in an incredible architectural diversity even within a single block. Thirdly, we have the already mentioned high-density, low-rise buildings with apartments and townhouses. It is important to mention that each apartment has its own exit to the street. And last, the fourth type is the self-built townhouses. About a hundred building plots have been placed in a lottery by the municipality and were given to private development. Each house has direct waterfront access and mooring space for a boat or a yacht. Private developers had very strict architectural constraints imposed on them. The resulting houses are all consistent with the spirit of modern architecture: brick, metal, concrete, wood, glass. There are no columns or ornaments, but at the same time the buildings look surprisingly different and each house is unique.

PlANNED BEAuTY Barcelona is one of Europe’s finest examples of urban renewal in the past 30 years. During this time, this Spanish city has evolved from a dilapidated industrial centre into a centre for tourism and culture with a very high standard of living.

Regeneration of the city began with low-budget projects.

In the 1980s, a set of plans was created for local developments. The works were undertaken whenever it was possible. 150 areas of the city were selected to have parks and gardens laid out in them. In time, sculptures adorned these parks, making them popular public spaces. Later on, a programme of gradual renewal of the city’s industrial areas, replacing them with residential areas, was created. The gradual revitalization of the deprived areas of mass housing built in the 1950s had begun.

Large-scale changes began in the city in the mid-1980s when Barcelona won the right to host the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. The construction works and modernization of the infrastructure began, including: the reconstruction of the water and sanitation systems; the repair of the old roads and construction of new ones; and the improvement 41

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of public transport and telecommunications. For the upcoming Olympic Games, new sports venues and hotels were built and the airport was expanded. The key project was the transformation of the city’s sea-front area. For years, the sea-front was the place of wharfs, warehouses, and fishing villages, but before the 1992 Summer Olympics it was turned into one big recreation area. Beaches were cleared, the beach road was covered over, and a promenade was constructed above it. The programme Barcelona, be beautiful! was carried out. Under this programme the façades of 3,700 buildings were restored. The owners of historic buildings were given cheap loans and were released from the property tax under the obligation of restoring the exterior of the buildings.

One of the key elements of the renewal plan was the programme to transform Barcelona into the cultural capital of Europe. Under this programme, in the space of 20 years, 38 new public spaces have been created, 45 city squares have been renovated, and dozens of galleries and museums have been opened. The programme Creative Factories was supported by the city authorities and was geared at creating new museums, libraries, design centres, and galleries. Barcelona’s improvement was contributed to by successfully held international sporting and cultural events; the 1982 World Cup, the Olympic Games, the Expo 1992, and the Universal Forum of Cultures in 2004. For these events, private investors and the city government built new exhibition and conference halls, hotels, restaurants, etc. The successful implementation of the programme allowed Barcelona to become one of the culture, tourism, and art capitals of Europe.

Today, cultural industries and tourism generate up to 30 per cent of Barcelona’s GDP. The main goal of Barcelona’s renewal programme was to create a positive living environment. The feature of the “Barcelona approach” is that public spaces and high quality architecture were chosen to be the keys to a better quality of life in the city and were given special attention. Barcelona has a lot of social housing under construction which has a high standard of architectural design and is evenly distributed throughout the city. The construction of several new central areas relieved pressure on the historic centre.

According to the concept of Barcelona’s administration, each area has to have an “aesthetic magnet” — a striking architectural building or public space with a sculpture. The cultural centres and places of recreation are easily accessed because of well-operated public transportation.

HE l l T O H E A v E N The history of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA) is the story of how the city first destroyed its environment and then became a leader in its restoration. The discovery of coal 42

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Today it is hard to believe that just 30 years ago, Pittsburgh was considered to be the most polluted city in the United States

deposits made Pittsburgh one of the most important mining and metallurgical centres in the U.S. Pittsburgh is situated in a valley, so the smoke from the chimneys did not rise and disperse but instead hung over the houses. This is why Pittsburgh used to have the nickname “hell with the lid off” and held the reputation of one of the dirtiest cities in the country.

That was the case until the late 1980s when, under pressure from environmentalists, the government began to impose stringent regulations forcing steelmakers to change their outdated equipment. Many manufacturers started the process of modernization, but not everybody managed to see it through to the end. The U.S. steel market began a severe downturn due to the dominance of low-cost imports. In five years about 100 thousand people lost their jobs in the steel industry and related industries in Pittsburgh. Ultimately, the magnates decided to close the factories with the view that modernization was meaningless.

IN PITTSBURGH, FORMER STEEL AND COAL-MINING CAPITAL OF THE U.S., THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH HAS BECOME THE LARGEST LOCAL EMPLOYER IN THE CITY, PROVIDING JOBS FOR 48 THOUSAND PEOPLE

The city plunged into a depression. All attempts to attract new investors failed; no one wanted to invest in a city with such a reputation. So the municipal authorities decided to undertake the restoration of the industrial areas on their own. The role of the coordinator of work between the state government, the investors, the developers and the public was transferred to the department of engineering and design work, better known now as the URA (The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh). The URA was given not only the powers of authority, but also the resources to remediate industrial zones and to construct in them a new infrastructure. Some of the finances were allocated from the municipality’s budget and some funds were received by the city as a grant from the federal government.

Gradually the land was cleared, the laying of a new sewer was begun, and new access roads and streets, and large parks and bike paths, etc., were built. After the utility serv-

ice infrastructure was ready, the municipality offered the acquisition of land to investors for the construction of offices, shops, and scientific and research laboratories. And things got rolling. On former factory sites private investors have built restaurants, shops, cinemas, residential houses, research laboratories, and offices, etc. The taxes received from the owners of the newly built properties are reinvested in the infrastructure.

Having started such a large-scale reconstruction, the city’s administration also set a goal to attract young people to the city, especially students and scholars. With the help of the federal government, the state government and the city, the University of Pittsburgh has become the largest local employer in the city, providing jobs for 48 thousand people.

The most famous university in the city is the Carnegie Mellon University, a leading research centre in the field of computer technology and engineering.

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DON’T GET BIGGER, GET BETTER. HERE’S HOW Gert Urhahn, the Dutch urbanist and designer of the urban environment and author of the book The Spontaneous City, believes that cities should become more dense inside their borders, and the neighbourhoods should be transformed into spaces for interaction between people, developing local competitive projects.

— In your opinion, how should megacities develop?

— The main thing is that cities should stop expanding. They should change within their existing borders. There must be a transition from expansion to transformation and the perception of the city as a “process” rather than a “plan”. Decades on after non-stop growth, the need for a transformation of existing cities is becoming more and more apparent. The expansion of

and industrial zones. Transformation within the existing borders is a strong alternative to urban sprawl. This is a much more complex process, which results in a rich, diverse and multilayered urban fabric.

— The majority of Muscovites live in monotonous neighbourhoods with a modular structure. How can the quality of life in the neighbourhoods be improved?

— Any intervention into Moscow’s neighbourhoods should be accom-

nomic trends, the rise of mobility and the new lifestyles of the citizens have the strongest effect on the physical structure of cities. It is difficult for neighbourhoods to adapt to these changes. The main task is to transform the neighbourhood into a space of human interaction, which would help form a community and create local achievement-oriented, competitive projects. The key word here is decentralization, i.e. transition from closed systems to more open ones.

This is a condition in which ideas and initiatives can emerge, for the new culture of the neighbourhood and diversity, but it all begins with people’s faith in themselves.

— How can all that be achieved?

— Everything that has to do with Moscow’s neighbourhoods is caused by their particular circumstances, the main one of which is the structure of land ownership. The first step in any efforts to improve the quality of life in neighbourhoods is the identification of the mutual interests of the owners and users of land. This work should be done by experts, public organizations, and proactive citizens. Discussion of mutual interests will lead to the identification of humanitarian values, such as public spaces, the freedom of movement, the landscape, the envi-

“THE FIRST STEP IN ANY EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN NEIGHBOURHOODS IS THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE MUTUAL INTERESTS OF THE OWNERS AND USERS OF LAND” the city is the easiest way taken by the market. It ignores the established borders and pushes aside all obstacles. Ultimately, urban sprawl leads to the destruction of mobility and other attributes of human freedom, which negatively affects the quality of people’s lives. This holds true for the centres of cities, suburbs, neighbourhoods 44

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panied by in-depth analysis of the existing reality: land tenure issues, existing relations, and people’s lifestyles. One thing is clear, the neighbourhood as a conceptual model of mass housing created in the Soviet times with highly idealistic goals, is not pliant or adaptive enough. The changes in the demographic and eco-

ronment, and the cultural heritage.

All the concerned parties will be looking to create a shared strategy, and negotiations involving many parties can begin. The discussion should be open, and its starting point should be the residents of the area and their needs, and, of course, their thoughts about the future.

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CHANGING MEETING PLACES The bigger a city, the weaker the relationship between its residents. Public spaces can bring citizens closer to each other and help them understand their part in the life of the metropolis.

IT’ S G O O D T O SE E Y O U The modern metropolis is a place where one feels “alone in a crowd”. The fast pace of life, the constant pursuit of success, and migration, all hinder the development of the city’s identity. These attributes of modern life play a part in the disintegration of relationships between people, destroy the habit of mutual assistance and the sense of being part of a common cause. Public spaces help break that vicious circle. They stimulate the civic engagement of citizens, involve them in the development and thus prevent the disintegration of the urban community into separate, often hostile social groups or closed ethnic communities.

Parks, garden squares, ice rinks, cultural organizations, stadiums and sports complexes are places of interaction for citizens from different social and demographic groups. Participation in shared activities and sharing leisure time in the same places could significantly smooth over the dif46

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ferences and soften the boundaries between the different groups. It could create conditions for interaction which would be impossible under different circumstances and could reduce the likelihood of conflict. Ultimately, it allows citizens to see themselves as a part of a unified and complex urban community; truly to feel citizens of their city. According to Eugene Asse, a renowned Russian architect, teacher, social activist, and Dean of the Moscow School of Architecture (MARCH), it is particularly important for “huge cities like Moscow, because it is here, in these very cities, that the problem of forming relationships between large public spaces, small public spaces, and the location of these spaces becomes a priority.” In many instances, public spaces (primarily parks) become nuclei of sorts for the regeneration of an area, ensuring its integrity, both physical and social.

The influence of public spaces on a city’s economic development is easy to measure. According to Stockleys, a Man-

VICTOr VakHSHTaYN, SOCIOlOGIST “More than 60 per cent of all permanent residents in Moscow do not perceive themselves as Muscovites and, essentially, do not relate to the city at all.”

TImOTHY marSHall, arCHITECT “The presence in the park of mothers with prams and push-chairs creates a better sense of safety than police patrols and surveillance cameras.”

maxIm NOGOTkOV, BUSINESSmaN “In Madrid, up to 20 referendums are held each year to choose exactly how the city should develop and to gauge the importance of: a stadium, school, hospital, or nursery.”

Central Park in New York didn’t become a model park overnight. It used to be a no-go area

chester-based consulting engineering practice, in some areas of Manchester and London, where regeneration projects have been successful, the development of existing and the creation of new public spaces have led to a rise in land prices by an average of 5 per cent and have increased retail sales by about 40 per cent. This has led to a significant increase in tax revenues for municipal budgets. Local residents now rate their safety and quality of life in these areas more highly.

GE T T I N G I N T O U C H Public spaces are special, distinctive types of places which differ from other urban areas. Their distinctiveness is formed by a community of citizens, rather than by an architect or some manager. A public space is not just a convenient place to meet up with friends or spend time; it is a place where a citizen feels a connection to the city and to others

who live in it. Ultimately, the function of a public space is determined by the communities which form there. This fact radically contradicts bureaucratic logic, according to which each public space should have just one single function.

The dissociation that Muscovites feel can be partly overcome by creating new public spaces and developing existing ones. At the same time, the dissociation of Muscovites is the reason why Moscow fails to generate vibrant public

SIXTY PER CENT OF ALL MUSCOVITES DO NOT RELATE TO THE CITY AT ALL DESPITE THE FACT THAT HALF OF THEM WERE BORN IN MOSCOW OR HAVE LIVED IN IT MORE THAN 10 YEARS spaces. According to recent social studies, most of Moscow’s residents fail to perceive themselves as Muscovites and regard Moscow solely as a place for working, not living. Victor Vakhshtayn, Head of the Sociological Research Centre at 47

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PUBLIC SPACES CAN BE CREATED ANYWHERE. FOR EXAMPLE, A STATION ON THE PARIS METRO IS AN EXHIBITION SPACE, FASHION SHOW CATWALK, AND INDOOR ICE-RINK the Russian Presidential Academy, demonstrated the data of an opinion poll he conducted in the Russian capital which was commissioned by the Department of Culture for Moscow. “We were surprised to find that more than 60 per cent of all permanent residents in Moscow do not perceive themselves as Muscovites and, essentially, do not relate to the city at all. One could assume that the feeling of being alienated is typical for newcomers, but in fact over 20 per cent of the poll sample are people who were born here (in Moscow), and another 30 per cent are people who at the time of polling have lived in Moscow longer than 10 years.” It is not surprising that well-designed public spaces struggle to create a fully-fledged social life around them.

The level of comfort and the appeal of a public place are largely influenced by the nature of communities that regard this space as a “meeting place”. Timothy Marshall, former Deputy Administrator and Vice President for New York City’s Central Park Conservancy, had mentioned at the Second Moscow Urban Forum that the presence in the park of mothers with prams and push-chairs creates a better sense of safety than police patrols and surveillance cameras. Thus, “moms with prams” are essential for the creation of a safe park, and the park administration, together with the city authorities, should make a special effort to attract them to the park. It is impossible to create a truly vibrant and evolving public space without the active participation of such citizens.

Madrid, the Spanish capital, took a most radical approach to this matter. Maxim Nogotkov, President of Svyaznoy Group, speaking at the Second Moscow Urban Forum, said, “In Madrid, up to 20 referendums are held each year. These referendums are held to choose exactly how the city should develop and to gauge what people feel is more important: a stadium, school, hospital, or nursery.

We always have the same problem, the budget is limited, the space can’t be stretched, so choices have to be made.

The choices are more justified if the views of residents are taken into account fully.”

Pr I V a T E a N D P U B l I C P a r T N E r S H I P The modern approach stipulates that the Master Plans should state the intended use of a particular space during the different stages of its development, the reasons for 48

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its potential popularity and what its functions should be.

Moreover, it is necessary to determine how particular parts of the public space will interact at various stages of its development, and how this space will develop eventually.

In addition to the social, architectural, and infrastructural aspects, the Master Plan should take into account the economic impact of the establishment and the further development of the new public space, its impact on the existing business, the nature and the number of jobs, and the prospects for the emergence of new types of businesses in the area.

This is particularly important for public spaces that are especially created or reconfigured for a large-scale, onetime event. Two typical examples, both bad and good, would be: the Expo Park for the Expo 2010 Shanghai China; and the Olympic Park in East London for the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Paralympics, commonly known as London 2012 (for more details read page 36). In order for such public spaces not to become dying memorials of major events but to integrate smoothly into the daily life of the city, it is necessary to plan the changing functions of the territories, buildings, and venues that were created for the events.

Public spaces can and should be created anywhere, even in the amenities of the transport infrastructure. A good example is a station on line A-14 of the Paris Metro. This station is used as an exhibition space, fashion show catwalk, and indoor ice rink. Moreover, in Paris, comfortable public mini-spaces are created on tram and bus stops. They serve not only as places to wait for a bus or tram and to socialize with fellow travellers but also as full-fledged service centres for ordinary daily needs. In Moscow, the first step in this direction was the allocation of space for temporary exhibitions at the Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) Metro station.

Parts of the regular road network in the city, such as major traffic junctions, can become public spaces too. The successful experience of some Western European cities, particularly Milan, shows that reorganization of the flow of traffic and some other reconstructions allow busy road junctions to turn into comfortable city squares. These reconstructions, as a rule, do not require large capital outlays.

As a result the city has spaces which do not break the sur-

Sports venues have happier outcomes than industrial zones. Factories might be abandoned, but people will always want to swim

The Olympic Park in London has replaced an industrial zone. Will it be abandoned in ten years? Time will tell

rounding areas up into segments but integrate them and ensure their availability to pedestrians. There are also many examples of how territories under road or rail flyovers are successfully transformed into public spaces.

In already existing neighbourhoods, the key role in supporting an active social life is played by the space located on the ground and lower ground floors of buildings. Here, social amenities can be situated: restaurants, coffee shops, small retail shops, service organizations, schools, clubs, etc. The municipal authorities should pay special attention to the availability of ground floor spaces for communitybased organisations and businesses. For developers and private investors who are primarily concerned about return on investment and profit investment ratios, ground floors are not usually paramount.

The management quality affects the popularity of public spaces more than the infrastructure or architectural solu-

The Moscow Metro station Vorobyovy Gory has temporary exhibitions, turning an infrastructure facility into a public space

tions. Poor management can “kill” even a perfectly designed public space. The management quality of public spaces such as parks is not determined only by how refuse collections and care for the park trees are organized and whether the lawns are watered and mown regularly, etc. The most important element of park management is organizing events to attract people’s interest and configuring an “event pattern” for the place. According to sociological studies, it is primarily the “event programme” that attracts people to parks in big cities.

Finally, another important trend is the widespread use of the mechanisms of public-private partnership (PPP) in the management of large public spaces, primarily large city parks. Among other things, the PPP ensures long-term and consistent development of the parks regardless of changes in the priorities of urban governance associated with political cycles and changes of city administrations.

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The renewal of Gorky Park began at its waterfront: the Moscow River bank and its various lakes and ponds

A cafe with a petanque field is just one example of how Gorky Park entices even hardened night-clubbers

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ALWAYS ROOM FOR GORKY Gorky Central Park for Culture and Leisure has become one of the “proving grounds” for Moscow’s authorities to cooperate with architects in polishing the concept of transforming public places in the Russian capital and for Muscovites to learn how to have fun with a modern twist.

FrOm GOOD TO BaD TO WOrSE Gorky Central Park for Culture and Leisure is an amusement park in Moscow, named after Maxim Gorky, a famous Russian and Soviet writer. It was founded in 1928 on what was then the periphery of Moscow. It was basically a dumping ground. The layout of the park was designed by Konstantin Melnikov, a famous Russian avant-garde architect, who laid the basis for a “model space of culture and leisure for the builders of socialism”. To a large extent this layout remains unaltered even now. The combination of recreational, educational, and entertainment functions in the park was an advanced idea at the time. Famous English science-fiction writer H.G.Wells, during his visit to Moscow in 1934, called Gorky Park a “factory for happy people”.

However, in the post-Soviet era the neglected park began to fall rapidly into disrepair with ageing amusement rides and dirty and unpleasant looking public catering places. The smiling workers were replaced with unmannerly individuals with beer bottles in their hands. The city continued to be the formal landlord of Gorky Park but the park administration

THE TOTAL AREA OF MOSCOW PARKS IS ABOUT 270 HECTARES managed to use the park as a source of revenue in the most bizarre ways. For example, a warehouse was built on the biggest lawns in the park and rented out to a number of tenants who had nothing to do with either “culture” or “leisure”.

OlGa ZakHarOVa, GENEral DIrECTOr OF GOrkY Park “As the park is in the middle of the city, people can work here. We have provided electric sockets and free Internet access.

This has attracted a completely different type of visitor. People now come here with their laptops to work.”

maNY lOrrIES — mUCH TraSH Rapid changes in the park began in March 2011, when Sergei Kapkov was appointed General Director of Gorky Park.

First, he ordered the removal of dilapidated rides and dubious stalls selling döner kebabs and other junk food. When Sergei Kapkov left office to become Head of the Department of Culture for Moscow, his successor Olga Zakharova continued the changes in Gorky Park. The large-scale programme of the park’s transformation from a dilapidated heritage site left over from the socialist era into a modern public space at the heart of Moscow is closely linked with these two individuals.

The exigent “crisis therapy” preceded the park’s comprehensive reconstruction and was carried out by Wowhaus, a Russian architectural bureau. Oleg Shapiro, Co-Owner and Chief Architect at Wowhaus, spoke about their experience at the Second Moscow Urban Forum. He said, “The sight of Gorky Park in March was not inspiring with the melting ice rink and awful looking “criminal” structures which 51

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were supposed to be rides. But we had to start somewhere.

We walked to the end of the park. There was a space free of rides and a small and extremely filthy stretch of riverbank.

We decided to start right there by offering the new administration a transformation of this piece of riverbank into a “beach” with wooden decking instead of sand. That idea fitted perfectly into the city’s and Gorky Park administration’s mutual concept that the park had to become a public space to be enjoyed by the whole city again.”

Supported by City Hall, each of the city’s services contributed towards the park’s transformation by finishing at least the initial jobs in time for the start of the 2011 season. In an interview with Sekret Firmy (Company Confidential) magazine, Olga Zakharova said, “It took endless convoys of lorries to remove the horrific looking rides, stalls, and piles of rubbish. All the works were carried out quickly. Paving and lighting were changed and the horrible chain-link fences were demolished.”

Pl E a S E G I V E G E N E r O U S l Y “The rides have been removed, so what’s next?” said Olga Zakharova. “After giving it some thought, we decided to make the park recreational. We have cleared the lawns and set out deck-chairs, outdoor sofas, and other small objects that help create an atmosphere of relaxation. Generally speaking, we have decided to reconstruct the park based on its 1950 principles. We are even trying to lay out the flowerbeds the way they used to look back then. And then we thought: the park is in the middle of the city, people can work here. We provided electric sockets and free Internet access. That has attracted a completely different type of visitor. People now come here with their notebooks and work.

We could not cover all the ideas with the money we had. The

MOSCOW’S PARK RENEWAL PROGRAMME IS SUBSIDIZED BY THE FUND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM AND RECREATION INDUSTRY FOR 2012–2016. $2.3 BILLION WILL BE SPENT ON RECREATION. THE VISITOR COUNT PER ANNUM WILL DOUBLE 52

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municipal budget is determined at the end of the year, but back then we were not quite ready and ran out of time to submit all the paperwork needed. Sponsors have helped.”

It is also important to mention that the new administration has removed the park’s entrance fee. Now, in addition to budget funds, the park’s main source of revenue is from catering which has shrugged off its former shoddy image.

All the restaurant buildings belong to the park, although their business is run by professionals, including restaurant chains. In summer, the bulk of the revenue is from the bike and catamaran hire services; in winter it is from the ice rink.

As a result, the park raises about a third of its own costs.

The park has changed its legal status to be able legally to raise income from business activities. From being a staterun cultural establishment it has become an independent one. These changes encourage the administration to be more efficient. During the Soviet-era the park’s staff stood at a hefty 1.5 thousand employees, now it is only 350 people.

However, the cost of the principal needs is covered by the city’s budget. This is the approach taken by City Hall which is prepared to take on the expenses of the development of the city’s public spaces.

TENNIS, YOGa, aND PrEGNaNT laDIES TOO The park’s new administration is betting on attracting more diverse groups of citizens. This aim is reflected in the park’s approach to event and activity planning. There are two types. The first type is arranged by the park and at its own budgeted expense. The park has provided table tennis tables, initiated a jogging club, and organized yoga and dancing classes. A multi-purpose sports ground has been built for volleyball and football, and a pétanque area has been set up. Experts invited by the park have organized a programme called “Mamalysh”. This programme holds talks for pregnant women and new mothers on building family relationships and raising a child. The park administration has also: bought easels, colours and paints; hired professional artists’ models; and organized open-air painting sessions. At first, just twenty people turned up, but eventually the numbers of participants increased tenfold.

The second type of event is carried out by private companies. For example, the street art festival Faces & Laces was organized by young designers.

The park administration’s hard work and willingness to experiment have not been in vain. Now, Gorky Park is visited by a 100,000 people every day. Prior to the transformation programme, the visitor count was a tenth of this.

WHaT IS NExT? All these changes are only the beginning. After all, the park has not even begun its true renovation. To continue its

Nature’s beauty is the park’s main selling point but it requires maintenance like everything else

THE LENGTH OF MOSCOW’S RIVER EMBANKMENT IS 185 KILOMETRES, OF WHICH ONLY 10 PER CENT IS A PEDESTRIAN ZONE journey, an international contest was announced for a concept of the park. It was won by the well-known British company LDA Design. LDA Design’s portfolio includes restoration projects on Central Park in New York, Victoria Park in London, and the design of the parklands of the Olympic Park in East London. The British approach is based on combining historical sites with new design elements added where possible and appropriate. Gorky Park will become even more verdant. It is planned to use the park’s landscape to channel the streams of people, making the park more comfortable for larger numbers

of visitors. The centre of attraction will be the Moskva River embankment. This corresponds with the plans of Moscow City Hall to breathe new life into the areas along Moscow’s rivers. Many of the embankments are in such a poor state that they have lost all of their attractiveness, as a river should be a living entity. After all, it is the birthplace of the city and its focal point.

In alliance with the city administration, LDA Design wants to make the river bus routes, which have stops in the park, more flexible. LDA Design has suggested sending the river buses round in a circle. Those people who are susceptible to motion sickness would be able to get off and spend some time on the riverbanks, relax on a deck chair, do some fishing, and buy something at a bistro. The works will last a few years, so LDA Design and the park administration want to “run in” all the major ideas by discussing them with Muscovites. Even at the preliminary stages of works on the concept, about 6.5 thousand citizens were interviewed. They were invited to express their wishes about the future of this major central park.

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UNITY FROM DIVERSITY The global experiences of creating public spaces which aim to connect people are highly diverse: a boulevard instead of a motorway; raised gardens instead of a railway; and networks of walking and cycling tracks linking city parks together.

ma k I N G r a I l T r a C k S B l O S S O m The High Line is a public park in New York City. It is a neat solution to many of the problems found in a modern city. It was created on an elevated freight railway track that had been abandoned in the 1980s. The initiative to construct the park came from local residents. At first, a group of property owners with land under the line lobbied for the demolition of the entire structure and almost succeeded, but in 1999, the non-profit organization Friends of the High Line was formed.

The residents of the neighbourhood fought against the demolition of the High Line and advocated its preservation and reuse as a public park similar to the Promenade Plantée in Paris. The Promenade Plantée is also situated on a railway track.

In 2001–2002, the Friends of the High Line, together with a number of other non-profit organizations, researched possible designs for the park along with the potential economic benefits which might accrue from its construction. The New York City Council was convinced by the results of the research and supported the project. In 2003, an open competition for 54

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ideas for the park was held and 720 teams entered. The competition panel included representatives of the authorities and well-known American architects. In 2004, a team of designers was formed to manage the construction works. This team included James Corner’s New York-based landscape architecture firm Field Operations, the design studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Piet Oudolf from the Netherlands, who did the planting design. Construction began in 2006, and in 2009, the first section of the park was opened to the public.

The park has greatly affected the entire area. Thirty development projects varying in scale were planned even before the first section of the park was opened. Today the park is one of the most popular places in the city. In 2011, about 4 million people visited The High Line; half of them were tourists. all rOaDS lEaD TO ParkS The National Parks Board of Singapore manages over 300 parks and 4 nature reserves; almost 3,000 hectares (around 7,400 acres). In recent years, this area has increased by

a GIGaNTIC SUN SHaDE Despite the financial crisis, Seville continues to develop its public spaces quite nicely. In 2011, this Spanish city gained a new landmark; a square covered by Metropol Parasol, a giant canopy that made the news around the world.

Dubbed “the world’s largest wooden structure”, the canopy covers an area of 12 thousand square metres (130 thousand feet), almost the size of two standard football fields. It gives much-needed shade to the well-appointed square, shops, and other amenities. The design of the 28 metre (92 feet) structure conceals a secret. It only looks wooden from the outside. Wooden panels rise from concrete posts and girders reinforced with steel. These allow the structure to be strong enough to have staircases to the upper floors with a panoramic viewing gallery.

Almost 40 years ago, this area was a large market but after it ceased trading it went into a slow decline. The local shops closed and property prices fell. The local shop owners and estate agents maintain that the construction of the new square and its canopy have brought life back to the area. The construction works have cost 90 million Euros and would not have been possible without a private investor, who, in return, has the space at his disposal for 40 years, during which time he expects to recoup his investment.

BOUlEVarD NOT mOTOrWaY Madrid Rio is a park stretching for 10 kilometres in Madrid, Spain’s capital. The park has replaced a motorway that used to run through the city but which has now been relocated underground. The site of the old motorway and its surrounding areas was neglected and covered with unsightly

a further 46 hectares (almost 114 acres). This was caused by the addition of 209 kilometres (almost 130 miles) of walking and cycling trails that are part of the Park Connector Network created to link major parks, nature areas, and residential estates. Work on this project began in 1991 and continues to this day. Each year sees the addition of new trail routes. Maps are published on a special website. These tracks play a role similar to the boulevards of old European cities, connecting residential areas to nature. Another important role of these tracks is that they protect the drainage channels needed by the parks. Each route has bicycle tracks, sports grounds and play areas for children. The routes of the new trails are discussed with the residents of neighbouring areas and the owners of the land; vacant space is a rarity in the island city-state. As a result of these discussions, the new trail routes have become known to everybody. According to the original plan, the total length of the trails should be 360 kilometres (almost 224 miles), so the project will take fifteen more years to be completed.

SEVILLE HAS COVERED AN OLD AND ABANDONED MARKET SQUARE WITH A GIANT CANOPY. NOW “THE WORLD’S LARGEST WOODEN STRUCTURE” GIVES MUCH-NEEDED SHADE TO THE REVIVED SQUARE, SHOPS, AND OTHER AMENITIES 55

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industrial buildings. This unpromising area has been turned into one of the largest public spaces in the city. The park has integrated the existing boulevards and promenades along the Manzanares River.

The work on the park was done by the Dutch architects West 8 in cooperation with three Spanish architects. In addition to the parks and boulevards, there are twelve sports grounds, a climbing wall, play areas for children, beaches, botanical gardens, and 30 kilometres of bicycle tracks. The park cost the city €5 billion. Most of this money was spent on constructing the tunnels, which began in the late 1990s.

The international competition for the park’s design was held only in 2003. Work began in 2006, and had been mostly completed by 2011.

Fl O a T I N G B E a C H E S Even though the summer temperatures in Copenhagen rarely rise above 20 degrees centigrade, the residents of the 56

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The High Line Park links different parts of the city where the transport infrastructure doesn’t

The High Line Park has no lawns but is still inviting and relaxing

The High Line Park’s height makes it extra fun. See New York from above

Danish capital still travel five to ten kilometres to go to the beach. The city government considered possible ways for citizens to enjoy their leisure time by the water in the city centre and, in 2002, Copenhagen got its first Harbour Bath. The Harbour Bath is a set of open-air swimming pools and a sort of “beach” on a floating landing stage with decking instead of sand. The first Harbour Bath was opened at Islands Brygge. This area was once part of Copenhagen’s harbour with warehouses and docks. Now it is the city’s chicest residential area with hotels, shops, and a vast public park on the water’s edge. In 2003, the first harbour bath at Islands Brygge was

FOR 5 BILLION EUROS, MADRID PUT 10 KM OF MOTORWAY UNDERGROUND AND REPLACED IT WITH A LIFE-ENHANCING BOULEVARD WITH SPORTS GROUNDS, A CLIMBING WALL, BEACHES, BOTANICAL GARDENS, AND BICYCLE TRACKS

The High Line Park idea came from Paris. Big cities share problems

The floating beaches of Copenhagen were designed by young architects. It made their name

The proximity of the beach to the business centre gives a unique character to the area — business and fun

replaced by a new larger, permanent harbour bath designed

by Bjarke Ingels, a then little-known Danish architect.

The Harbour Bath at Islands Brygge has a total of five pools including two pools for children only, and a diving pool with 3 and 5 metre springboards. Water quality is monitored daily using special environmental controls, and lifeguards keep watch over the swimmers. There are currently four harbour baths in Copenhagen. One of them was opened in 2008 and has a playful name, Copencabana — a portmanteau on the Danish capital and that most famous beach in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

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Modern art galleries are here to stay

THE MAIN “INHABITANTS” OF THE ART QUARTER ARE PUBLISHERS, DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL BUREAUX, I.T. START-UPS, ART GALLERIES, AND THEATRES

The Art Quarter does not have enough recreational public spaces

Artplay and Winzavod attract a lot of people on the “Day of the City” and the “Night of the Museums”

ARTKVARTAL — THE ART QUARTER The idea of converting halfneglected areas of the city into districts for artists, designers, architects, and other members of the creative industries is not new, but will it suit Moscow?

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The initiators of the Art Quarter project believe that trams and riverboat buses will run here in the future

The main thing is to create an exciting atmosphere in the streets

ART CLUSTERS IN BERLIN, NEW YORK, AND LONDON ATTRACT A LOT OF TOURISTS BECAUSE OF THEIR VIBRANT STREET LIFE AND MULTI-CULTURAL ATMOSPHERE

a

rtKvartal is a pilot development project concerned with altering urban space to meet the needs of creative professionals. ArtKvartal has 540 hectares (1,334 acres) available for occupation, which is a large area on the left bank of the Yauza River. Currently, this is a deprived area with many industrial zones, and the city is not maximising its potential.

The idea for the project was inspired

by the designs of art clusters in Berlin, New York and London. Art clusters attract many tourists because of their vibrant street life and multi-cultural atmosphere. The main “inhabitants” of these neighbourhoods are publishers, design and architectural bureaux, ITstart-ups, film and television studios, art galleries, and theatres.

People in the creative professions are more flexible and open to new

ideas than most. For these reasons new strategies for the development of urban spaces can be tried out in ArtKvartal, including a new approach to transport. The project will focus on pedestrians, bicycle tracks, and innovative kinds and types of public transportation.

Currently, The Union of Creative Territories, an association of companies, experts, and citizens, is developing a master plan for ArtKvartal to be submitted to the Government of Moscow in the summer of 2013. Work is scheduled to begin in 2014, when the first benefits of this project will start to show; the revitalization of the river embankment, a system of bicycle tracks, and a transport users’ guide to the area.

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KIDS SAY “SET US FREE” Tim Gill, a leading British thinker on childhood and the author of the book No Fear, is convinced that parents in modern cities must help their children learn to overcome life’s difficulties and that the authorities should create an environment in which children can grow and connect with other people and the places around them.

— Urban Planning, as a rule, does not take children’s interests into account. How can an environment be designed that includes children as full members of the community?

— A comfortable environment for children should consist of two key elements. Number one, it should have plenty of places to go to and things to do that appeal to children of all ages.

To some extent, this requirement is covered by good parks and playgrounds, but lively and active public spaces, sports playgrounds, and recreation facilities are also needed. After all, children do not want to spend all their time locked up somewhere with other children. Number two, the environment must be safe for children. It should be easy for children to meet friends, walk, cycle, and get to the places they want without obligatory adult supervision. A child-friendly environment should be both interesting and safe. Examples of these criteria being achieved are in Copenhagen, 60

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Stockholm, and Freiburg, where, as a result, the streets, parks, and squares are full of active kids of all ages.

— What will future playgrounds look like?

— If we incorporate the idea that children need adventure, playgrounds would bear little resemblance to what they are now. Fenced, flat areas with brightly painted equipment — these are not what children need. There should be natural slopes, trees, and nature; there should be sand, stones, and sticks for children to be creative and make things together. The conditions should be more challenging. Children should to be able to take risks, make mistakes, and test themselves and their boundaries. As a final point, it would be a good idea to design a multifunctional space that could be used by different age groups and different types of people. Learning to share space with others is beneficial both for children and for society as a whole.

— How should adults change their approach to children’s everyday lives in the city?

— In the UK, US, and Australia, people are increasingly concerned about the safety of children despite the fact that, according to statistics, now is the safest time in history for children. In my book No Fear I called this trend “zero risk”. This tendency arises not only because of the excessive anxiety of parents for their children but also because politicians, teachers and the media play their part by spreading safety concerns further. In my view, excessive safety harms children. It deprives them of the chance to be independent; many children will grow disconnected from the world around them. We must understand that our role as parents is to give children the opportunity to learn how to overcome life’s challenges and to create an environment in which children can develop while being connected with the people and places around them.

“WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT OUR ROLE AS PARENTS IS TO GIVE CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO OVERCOME LIFE’S CHALLENGES AND TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH CHILDREN CAN DEVELOP”

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PART 5 A MOBILE, WELL-CONNECTED CITY: SOLUTIONS TO TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

THE RISE OF THE MACHINES A comfortable city is, above all, a place where one can quickly get from point A to point B. In other words, it is a city where transport problems are solved.

GO I N G R O U N D I N C I R C L E S Nowadays, efficient transport systems determine the attractiveness of cities in the eyes of investors and potential residents and affect their competitive advantages.

Well-developed countries, especially in Europe, have come to realize that the policy of “concentrating on cars” that has prevailed in urban planning since the middle of the last century does not bring the desired results. According to extensive research, the United States (a country with perhaps the highest number of cars per capita) experienced the worst congestion in Houston, Detroit and Los Angeles — cities with the most developed network of motorways both in them and in their adjoining suburbs. The experience of the second half of the 20th century demonstrates that the development of road networks is always one step behind the pace of car ownership. The situation is going round in circles. An increase in vehicle numbers leads to road congestion. To deal with the congestion, existing roads are widened and new, even wider roads are built. For a while, the number of traffic jams decreases, which in turn encourages more cars, and we are back to square one. What is the solution? During the past

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15–20 years, the abandonment of the “concentrating on cars” concept and the revival of public transportation has become an important trend in the development of Western European cities. However, Moscow is still well behind other major cities in road density, so it is necessary to construct and expand its road network.

FEET, TYRES, RAILS Well spaced out, but well-linked agglomerations or polycentric cities are expanding and swallowing new territories. In these cities the pressure on the road network is considerably lower as a result of efficient transport systems. The level of commuting is lower as well, and the role of public transportation in moving around the city is much higher. A well-developed transport infrastructure has fundamentally changed cities in areas with a high population density (examples include the East Coast of the US, Western Europe, and South and

ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN GREATER PARIS AND THE INNOVATIVE CITY OF MASDAR (UAE) MEAN NO CITIZEN HAS TO TRAVEL MORE THAN 30 MINUTES A DAY

Building interchanges is important — But do they work?

South-East China). In fact, they cannot be regarded as cities as we understand them, but rather as unified urbanized territories.

These agglomerations use the concept of multimodality for their transport systems: within a single district people can comfortably move on foot and by bicycle; in the suburbs and between cities they move by car; and when travelling to remote parts of the city, they can use public transportation.

In addition, the current, most advanced projects of city construction and reconstruction are based on the concept that a citizen should spend no more than 30 minutes per day travelling.

Moreover, the greatest emphasis in the development of transport infrastructure is put on separating mechanized and pedestrian types of travelling and diverting them to different levels. This means that the road network and public transport routes should either be moved underground or

raised above it. The ultimate goal is to create a city in which multifunctional areas are surrounded by verdant spaces and interconnected by transport and engineering corridors running under or over them.

At the same time, modern urban studies regard the efficient use of existing transportation facilities to be far more important than the construction of new ones. The improvement in transport efficiency is approached from two different angles; the creation of a new complex public transport system and the use of the information and communication technologies in managing the flow of transport in a city. (For more details about Intelligent Transport Systems, ITS, see page 68.)

The road network’s efficiency can be doubled or tripled if the use of private vehicles is replaced by public transportation. Currently, the latest trends in the development of public transportation systems are the Light Rail System (LRS), the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). PRT is a system of automated vehicles operating on a network of especially built guide ways. PRT allows non-stop, point-to-point travel, thereby largely removing the problem of the shortage of parking spaces in the city. (For more details about intelligent transport system (ITS) and its examples, see page 70.) In addition, such a system makes it possible for citizens to take their own vehicles, which is still necessary. As a result, people do not have to travel to work driving their own huge minivans or SUVs and park them near the office for half a day, and this reduces the number of cars on the road network.

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LET’S GO! In the battle against gridlock, Moscow’s authorities rely primarily on the development of public transport, and only secondarily on extending existing motorways or constructing new ones.

A NIGHTMARE SCENARIO The level of traffic congestion reaches nine or ten points on Yandex.Probki, the Internet service with instant information about the traffic situation in Moscow. This has become commonplace. Moscow is choked by traffic jams. Speaking at the Second Moscow Urban Forum, Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow and Head of the Department for Transport and Road Infrastructure Development, recounted that at the end of 2011, on average, a Muscovite had to spend 67 minutes each day travelling to and from work. In just one week this time amounts to almost a full working day.

Moscow’s transport network has a radial-ring structure.

Big shopping centres and hypermarkets have been built next to the city’s major motorways. All these things, together with twenty years of underfunding in the development of the transport infrastructure, only exacerbate the problem.

For a long time, the interests of motorists were paramount in the city’s transport strategy. The needs of pedestrians and public transport came last. Newly built or freshly reconstructed roads are immediately congested by an increasing number of vehicles in the city. According to Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development and Construction, “we currently have over 400 cars per 1,000 inhabitants. In 2012, the total number of vehicles increased by almost 6 per cent. This makes almost 360 thousand additional vehicles.” At the same time, according to the mayor’s office, 80 per cent of Muscovites do not use vehicles at all.

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Eight points on the Yandex.Probki is a common situation

Ten points made the news on more than one occasion

TIME, MONEY, DISTANCE The battle against traffic jams began with the arrival of a new team in the Mayor of Moscow’s office. Their goal is to reduce the average time it takes a Muscovite to travel from point A to point B during rush hour, from the current 67 minutes to at least 50 minutes by 2020. This could be achieved by increasing the carrying capacity of public transport by an additional 360 thousand places. At the same time, the priorities on the roads must be changed. The first priority will be given to pedestrians, the second to public transport, the third to any other moving vehicle, and parked vehicles will come last. Massive funding was assigned to finance the solutions to Moscow’s transport problems, including the construction of new stations and lines for the underground. In 2011, the programme of measures for combating transport congestion was approved with a budget of 200 billion roubles ($6.4 billion). This programme involves the urgent completion of previously launched projects. Following that, the medium-term programme of the development of Moscow’s transport for 2012–2016 was approved.

Its budget is 1.7 trillion roubles ($54 billion).

By 2020, the Moscow Metro will have 67 new stations, and the length of its lines will be increased by an additional 150 kilometres (93.2 miles). The cost of this programme is estimated at $30–35 billion. This programme is aimed

at changing Moscow’s current situation, where 22 per cent of its inhabitants (more than 2 million people) do not have an underground station within walking distance (less than a kilometre). By 2020, this figure should be reduced to 7 per cent (700 thousand Muscovites). Due to the fact that most of the new stations will be of sub-surface type, i.e. just below the surface, it will save 1.5 billion roubles ($48 million), and will reduce construction time by an average of two years. It is planned to replace the underground rolling stock almost completely, as it is currently quite heterogeneous and therefore expensive to maintain.

It is planned to bring city trains into operation on the Moscow Little Ring Railway as early as 2015. According to Maxim Liksutov, during rush hours these trains will run as frequently as the underground trains — every 3 to 5 minutes. By 2020, it is planned that Moscow will have an additional 220 kilometres (136.7 miles) of railway lines. This cost of this programme is estimated at about $7 billion.

In just one year, 2013, in order for Moscow to increase its motorway, underground, and railway capacity and to make an efficient transition from one type of transport to another, it is intended that 180 major transport hubs will be constructed. In future, the total major transport hubs will amount to 255, with a total area of 3.5 million square metres (37.7 million square feet).

Additionally, Moscow City Hall has extensive plans for an increase in the number of legal taxis. Today, there are more than 28,000 legal taxis with permit certificates (Moscow taxis are recognised by their distinctive chequered roof signs), but according to experts, Moscow needs 50,000 legal city taxis.

GO S H , T H E S E R O A D S !

In Moscow, the road network remains the least developed in comparison with other world metropolises. The road density (1 kilometre of road per 1 square kilometre) in Moscow is 1.9 times lower than London, 2.5 times lower than New York, and 3.7 times lower than central Tokyo. The city is fragmented by industrial zones and railways. The excess mileage for cars and other transport is enormous, which results in additional traffic.

Moscow City Hall is planning to develop its road network in two stages. First, outbound routes will be reconstructed — they will be expanded wherever possible and lose all their traffic lights. Then, the second stage will begin. This will involve the construction of new roads and additional links between areas of the city (in the near future there will be about twenty new links). The territory used for these projects will not be that much; we are talking about industrial zones and the railway lines’ buffer zones. Moscow’s authorities do not want a repeat of “heroic acts” like the construction of the first sections of Moscow’s Fourth Ring road which cost $2 billion.

According to Marat Khusnullin, Moscow’s major new motorways will be constructed soon. These will include the

MAxIM LIkSUTOv, DEPUTY MAYOR OF MOSCOw

“The solutions to the challenges we face for a functioning and comfortable city are as follows. First, we must increase the carrying capacity of public transport by 360 thousand seats per hour; then, we should strive to reduce travel time by public transport during peak hours by 25 per cent, from 67 minutes in 2011 to 50 minutes in 2025.”

North-East and North-West Chord, the South bypass and alternative Northern and Southern routes for Kutuzovsky Prospekt, a major radial avenue in Moscow. “At that point the building of roads will stop. Endeavouring to get ahead of car ownership by building new roads does not make sense.

We have 3.6 thousand kilometres (2.2 thousand miles) of roads. We are building an additional 340 kilometres (211 miles). This means that by 2016 Moscow’s roads will be extended by 10 per cent. Starting in 2017, there will be no more large-scale road constructions,” says Khusnullin.

ROAD DENSITY IN MOSCOW IS 1.9 TIMES LOWER THAN LONDON, 2.5 TIMES LOWER THAN NEW YORK, AND 3.7 TIMES LOWER THAN CENTRAL TOKYO 65

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SMART TRAFFIC The practical implementation of information technology is both a relatively low-cost and a very effective way of solving traffic problems.

BE C L E v E R , B E S A F E Attempts to use computer technology to solve traffic congestion problems began almost immediately after the nearly comprehensive introduction of computers to the life of the modern city. However, the difference between the first computer programs for combating traffic congestion and the modern intelligent transport system (ITS) is similar to the difference between the first giant computers and modern tablets.

The current ITS achievements are impressive. They: — help increase significantly the accessibility and capacity of the road network (thus reducing the huge cost of building new roads); — help reduce emissions and the time needed to travel around the city; — improve road safety for all participants; — reduce the operating costs of service vehicles and road maintenance; — improve the efficiency of logistics and the work of public treduce the response time to accidents and other problematic situations on the roads.

In some cases, the introduction of elements of ITS can become an alternative to major maintenance repairs of the road infrastructure, an example of which is the construction of a new road interchange. The average reconstruction of one intersection in Moscow is 5–6 times more expensive than equipping the intersection with ITS. (For more infor68

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JUST BY OPTIMIZING THE OPERATING PATTERNS OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT A TYPICAL MOSCOW TRAFFIC JUNCTION, WAITING TIMES FOR VEHICLES CAN BE REDUCED BY 300 HOURS PER DAY mation about the development of ITS in Moscow see the infographic on page 66.) According to experts’ estimations, just by optimizing the operating patterns of traffic lights at a typical Moscow traffic junction, the waiting times for vehicles can be reduced by 300 hours per day.

In other countries, the use of ITS increases road capacity by 15–50 per cent, reduces the accident rate by 20–40 per cent, and reduces the number of traffic violations by 1.5–2 times. In addition, ITS helps lessen the impact on the environment. By optimizing traffic control, it is possible to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by 10–20 per cent. According to forecasts by the European Commission, the creation of pan-European intelligent transport systems

Multi-tasking road speed cameras detect offenders, analyse traffic flow, and change traffic light modes

in the EU will help decrease road deaths by a factor of 1.7.

ITS not only effectively optimizes traffic flows and increases safety, but can also significantly improve the efficiency of the development and operation of the road network.

IT D R I v E S I T S E L F A N D w O N ’ T R U N Y O U OvER In general terms, the concept of an urban intelligent transport system is described as “a smart car on a smart road”.

ITS will monitor the physical and mental condition of the driver and give warning of dangers and emergency situations ahead, etc.

ITS will be able to detect quickly any inherent defects in various car models and transmit these data to manufacturers, and, if necessary, to service centres and road emergency services. In addition, vehicles will exchange information with traffic management systems and will be able to predict the occurrence of traffic jams and avoid them where possible. ITS will monitor the status of the road net-

A 15–50 PER CENT INCREASE IN ROAD CAPACITY REDUCES ACCIDENTS BY 20–40 PER CENT AND TRAFFIC OFFENCES BY 1.5–2 TIMES

В мастер-плане город предстает не объектом, а субъектом трансформа

work in accordance with the traffic flow and weather conditions and will be able to adjust the traffic flow by its management system. Traffic flow can be controlled not only by means of “smart” traffic lights, road signs, and other equipment, but also through the exchange of data between components of the road infrastructure and vehicles (systems of automatic speed restriction, warnings about entering the contra-flow lane, etc.). In the world’s major emerging and established countries, a lot of attention is given to the development and implementation of ITS on all levels: urban, regional and national. Development of ITS is paramount in the transport policies of countries with mature economies, especially the United States and Western and Northern Europe.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) can, for example, equip all private and commercial vehicles with special Radio Frequency ID (RFID) tags that monitor the situation on the roads and transmit this information to drivers.

Even today, it is possible to create systems that can collect data on the routes stored by car owners in their navigators, and, based on this information, predict traffic jams, thus correcting the traffic flow in problematic areas. To achieve this in large cities, it would be necessary to introduce legislation to prohibit driving during rush hours without the use of a specific type of approved navigational system showing the recommended route to be taken, under the threat of a small fine.

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A FAREWELL TO CARS When it finally became clear that cars and pedestrians do not mix and that too many cars cause giant traffic jams, the administrations of large and medium-sized cities began to seek something to replace the growing trend of total reliance upon private cars. They came up with many interesting ideas.

New York study shows cycle-friendly roads boost local retail sales

AS F A S T A S T HE U N D E R G R O U N D BU T A H U N D R E D T I M E S C H E A P E R Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is one of the most effective public transport systems in the world. The first BRT was introduced in Curitiba (Brazil). Over the past thirty years, from being a small town inhabited by 30 thousand people, Curitiba has transformed into one of the largest and most dynamic cities in Brazil with a population of over 300 thousand people.

The Mayor’s office of Curitiba decided against the demolition of buildings in the city centre and the widening of roads. Instead, they decided to use the existing roads and to demolish very few buildings. All five of the city’s main transport arteries were divided into three sections. The central, two-way lane is dedicated to BRT buses, while the rest of the traffic uses the lanes on either side of the central lane.

In designing the new system, the Mayor’s office focused on the needs of the majority of city residents who could not afford a car. Manual route planning and scheduling was computerized. Passengers were simultaneously loaded and 70

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unloaded at cylindrical, clear-walled tube stations with turnstiles. On average, the bus waiting time at each station is less than a minute. During the rush hour, a BRT bus departs every minute.

Capacious bus interiors, extra-wide entry and exit doors, pre-boarding fare payments at tube stations, plus automatic control of traffic lights by bus drivers; all these allow the new buses to cater for three times as many passengers as the traditional city buses. The average bus speed in Curitiba is 40 kilometres per hour, including stops. Each line transfers 20 thousand passengers per hour, about as many as the underground, but the cost of the construction and operation of BRT is 100 times cheaper.

A growing number of cities are following Curitiba’s example and introducing BRT to their roads. In 2009, BRT was introduced in Ahmedabad, an Indian city with a population of 7 million. By 2035, Ahmedabad will have 11 million inhabitants and will cover an area of 1 thousand square kilometres (386 square miles). By then, its BRT system will be

operating full-scale. Work on the system began in 2005 with a study of the transportation needs of Ahmedabad’s residents, as well as studies on the socio-economic and technical aspects of the implementation of the BRT system in the city. The well-prepared plan took into account route details, the number of buses, and the concomitant infrastructure.

Several dozen bus routes were defined, together with separate service routes to support BRT. Tata Motors designed a special bus for Ahmedabad roads at half the price of comparable buses made by Volvo and Mercedes Benz. The city now has five routes with 75 stops.

In 2010, BRT began to operate in Guangzhou, China. Currently, there are only three lines in Guangzhou, but they are used by 1 million people a day. This makes the Guangzhou BRT the world’s second-busiest after the TransMilenio in Bogotá. The BRT world records do not end there. Guangzhou has the longest BRT station platforms, some are as long as 260 meters (over 284 yards) and it also has the shortest intervals between buses, a matter of 10 seconds. Three bus stations are linked to the local underground. In Guangzhou, they are developing bicycle services to complement BRT and the bus stops have bicycle parking and bike hire stations next to them.

In Guangzhou, BRT buses are run by seven companies which are, in turn, controlled by a special agency. Another agency is responsible for the planning and development of BRT. Lines are serviced by special buses which are 18 metres (59 feet) long. Dedicated service lanes are delineated by road markings and small fences and in most cases are located in the middle of BRT rights-of-way.

GUANGZHOU BRT STATION PLATFORMS CAN BE 260 METRES LONG WITH A 10 SECOND WAIT BETWEEN BUSES

GOOD ROADS, EASY LIFE In 2008, the Department of Transport (DOT) in New York City launched Sustainable Streets, a strategic plan for the city’s transport policy. The plan’s main goal was to improve the quality of life in the city and its priorities were safety, mobility, the infrastructure and the environment. The DOT continues to evaluate the effectiveness of the city’s different transport initiatives and publishes detailed annual progress reports of its work. In October 2012, the DOT conducted an evaluation study that clearly showed the multiple benefits of well-designed road improvements. The first parking-protected bicycle path (a bicycle path separated from the rest of traffic by parking spaces) in the United States reduced the number of injuries on this street by almost 60 per cent.

Trade in the vicinity of this track became 49 per cent more effective when compared with the average for the neighbourhood. The improvement of pedestrian crossings on Union Square has led to a decrease in speeding — vehicles are now less likely to accelerate up to and away from traffic lights, creating life-threatening situations. At the same time, the average speed in the area increased by 14 per cent.

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Car2Go uses only small city cars

Paying bus fares in advance significantly reduces boarding times

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EASYWAY, THE EU-RUN PANEUROPEAN PROJECT, ENCOURAGES HARMONIOUS DEPLOYMENT OF ITS FROM A SINGLE PROCESSING BASE

On another street, lanes with rights-of-way and special busonly traffic lights, increased their average speed by 20 per cent and the number of passengers travelling in them by 10 per cent. Sales in the shops on this street have grown by almost 80 per cent. When presented simply and clearly, these interim results have helped convince residents that the DOT’s selected transport initiatives are both correct and necessary.

A NEw wAY TO HIRE CARS Car-sharing is a one-way, hourly rental service available in over a thousand cities around the world and organized in many ways in different places. To make reservations, one can either go online, telephone, or use a text message, depending on the company’s flexibility. Car-sharing varies from simple systems using key boxes to complex computer-based systems, but all systems are very easy to use.

Advanced systems allow the locations of the nearest cars to be found either on their websites or by using smartphone apps. Cars can be dropped off at any public parking space within a designated operating area. After which, the car is available for the next user. In addition, the driver has choices: one can hire a minivan for a family picnic, or a Smart Fortwo for a trip to the office. Bremen (a German city of half a million inhabitants) claims to be the first European city in which the system will run at full power. Currently 40 per cent of trips are made by car, 14 per cent are by public transportation, and almost 25 per cent are by bicycle. This does not seem excessive, but for an old town with narrow streets it is a major problem. Currently, there are about 50 rental stations using 170 different models of cars, ranging from small VW Polos to VW Caddy vans and even Ford Transits. The rates are flexible and one can either buy a subscription or pay per time or mileage. In 2011, the system was used by 6 thousand people (35–40 drivers per car).

This facilitated the removal of approximately 1,500 vehicles from the streets. The majority of clients (91 per cent) don’t own a car as a matter of principle. A survey, conducted in 2010, showed that after the car-sharing system was introduced to the city one in three customers dropped the idea of buying a car.

wINTER CYCLING In 2010, Bicycling named Minneapolis the best city for cyclists in the United States. Despite the fact that the air temperature in Minneapolis is below freezing for four months of the year, more than 5 per cent of the city’s residents use their bicycles regularly for journeys to work, and each year the number of cyclists increases.

This has become possible because of the city’s complex cycling programme. Minneapolis already has about 300 kilometres (136.4 miles) of bicycle tracks, and, according to the local department of transport, by 2020 any city resident will need not more than five minutes to get to the nearest bicycle lane. Amongst the purposely-constructed bicycle tracks is an abandoned railway line that runs through the southern part of the city. During the frost-free seasons it is used by almost 35 hundred cyclists a day.

Moreover, Minneapolis has launched one of the nation's largest bicycle rental services, which has 145 bike hire stations and nearly 1.5 thousand bikes. The service operates from April to November. It is possible to hire a bike for a day, or to buy a monthly or annual season ticket (the latter would cost $65). In 2012, the service was used 274,045 times.

AFTER BREMEN INTRODUCES CAR-SHARING, ONE THIRD OF INHABITANTS PREFER CAR SHARING TO CAR OWNERSHIP “SMART” ROADS In the European Union, a number of countries has implemented ITS projects on a national level; StreetWise in the UK, Viking in the Nordic countries, Centrico in France, Connect in Germany, and Ithaca in Italy. The Framework Programmes are funding programmes created by the EU to support and encourage international cooperation in scientific research. Under The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) this implementation became possible for such projects as ICT for interactive systems, ICT for intelligent vehicle systems, and ICT for clean and efficient transport. In addition, the EU runs the pan-European project EasyWay, which encourages the concordant and compatible deployment of ITS in Europe using a single processing base. EasyWay is a collaboration of more than 21 member states of the EU. ITS innovations (including automated adaptive control of traffic flows) are deployed in almost all the world’s major cities.

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“ONE CAR EQUALS 100 PEOPLE” Pierre Laconte, Belgian urbanist, jury member of Lee Kuan Eu World Cities Prize, former president of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), and former president of the Fund for the Urban Environment, believes that Moscow’s integration with its suburban areas as well as the large urban projects occurring in these territories, should instigate a reorganisation of the entire system of public transport.

— In recent years, the agglomeration of Moscow has faced immense traffic problems. How are similar problems handled in other countries?

— It is known that car-users take up about 20 times more road space than passengers on public transport. Additionally, cars need parking spaces. The space taken by one car is almost 100 times larger than the space that is used by a pedestrian over the same period of time. According to the findings of the British Standing Advisory Committee for Trunk Road Assessments, compiled as early as 1995, the more roads the city has, the more traffic jams it gets. More, not fewer. The reason for this is that an increase in the number of roads leads to an increase in the number of vehicles. Why then are authorities more willing to invest in the development of the road network, rather than in the development of public transport? Because they tend to overrate the significance of vehicles, as was noted by the SocialData organization in a research paper prepared for the International Association of Public Transport. This research compares the preferences of citizens and officials. Zurich, for example, found a reasonable, though political, solution to 74

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the problem of traffic jams. Cars entering the electoral part of the city are entitled to free parking for 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, they must find a parking meter. This decision gave the Mayor of Zurich a convincing victory in the following election. This was unsurprising as the electorate was made up of city residents, not of the drivers and their passengers who commute to the city every day to work.

— Moscow has a radial structure; all its roads lead to the centre.

How could the situation in our city be improved?

— Beijing tried to follow the United States’ example by increasing the number of ring roads. It required substantial spending and, ultimately, led to an increase in the number of vehicles and thus, traffic jams on the roads. Beijing has become a smog-wrapped city. Shanghai, however, decided on a different strategy and chose Singapore as its model. It introduced monthly auctions for the right to receive car licence number plates. This sets a limit on the number of licence plates issued each month. Moscow once tried to go the same way as Beijing and began to build ring roads, but now it has doubts, and not without reason, on whether to continue with the same strategy. The one ring road built is the new circle line of the Moscow Metro that connects the far-flung parts of the city to the centre. It is necessary to build new high-speed rail lines, using existing fly-over crossings and railway lines. The development plan of the Moscow Metro includes the construction of the Chord lines and new intersections. This is not a bad idea.

— How to make public transport more appealing to car users?

— Everyone wants to have their own car, or at least to use one. People get pleasure from driving if the space needed for this is provided to them free. All the benefits of driving your own car can be nullified by the time lost in traffic jams and the unavoidable rise in fuel prices, associated with the rising cost of oil production. This is why appreciation of public transport in the major cities is growing rapidly. All these reasons should convince the city officials to choose in favour of investing in city railways.

“MOSCOW’S HISTORIC CENTRE IS UNSUITABLE FOR HEAVY TRAFFIC. ROAD NETWORKS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED ON THE CITY’S OUTSKIRTS”

“MOSCOW’S PROBLEMS ARE NOT UNIQUE” Paul Ostergaard, the Senior Vice-president of Urban Design Associates (UDA), predicts that Moscow’s spread will require the road network to be expanded to serve the new areas, as well as more efficient use of railways between the centre and the new territories.

— Moscow, being an actively growing metropolis, has a lot of problems; lack of the necessary links between the centre and the outskirts, a deficiency in public transport and, of course, traffic jams. Does every agglomeration face the same problems?

— The problems faced by Moscow are not unique. Rapidly developing cities often grow far beyond their existing borders, and this is not accompanied, as a rule, by a well-developed transport infrastructure. Old roads are transformed into motorways but still end up congested due to the lack of alternative roads, while the underground and rail links do not meet the growth of the city. American cities have gone through the stage of the overgrowth of the suburbs causing poor links between the outlying regions and the centre.

Now, cities in America are aware of the need to develop all the transport systems in the same direction as the expanding city. The development of the existing roads should not be the only priority. It is essential to create inter-district road links to increase mobility and grant easy access to the new areas.

— What does Moscow expect from the future?

— Central Moscow inherited its structure from its medieval town with narrow streets, so its maximum density is limited by the capacity of the existing infrastructure. In order to conserve the historical centre, Moscow should concentrate on developing outside the boundaries of the historic centre. Another reason for Moscow’s traffic jams, in addition to the inherited structure, is the lack of an adequately developed road network in the outskirts. Currently, Russian Railways are the best way to get to the centre of Moscow, but the problem is that the rail network is not used enough. The growth of the city will necessitate the development of a network of new roads to serve the adjoining territories, and will also require a better use of railway communication between the centre and the new satellites. This is needed so that the load on the Moscow Metro and the existing road network can be reduced.

— What is the role of urban planning in the future design of the Moscow agglomeration?

— In order to avoid chaos in building construction, it is important to have an active urban planning organization supported by the federal and municipal authorities. The organization, which can work with municipalities and coordinate large-scale initiatives at a local level, is an important tool for Moscow. An urban planning organization must consider land use, the infrastructure, and both the natural and cultural resources as part of an integrated system. It must act as a link between the municipalities, landowners, and developers and must keep the management of culturally significant objects and natural sites open and transparent.

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PAN-CITY MONITORING The city authorities will never be able to eliminate all the problems faced by the metropolis if they do not collaborate with innovation businesses, research centres, universities, and citizens. These partnerships work most effectively by using open-ended systems.

CH E A P A N D S M A R T “Smart” systems to monitor housing maintenance and utilities, e-government, telemedicine, and online education allow the citizens’ quality of life to be improved cost-effectively. Remote access to services also helps the three goals of the city’s sustainable development to be achieved simultaneously. These goals are: that a variety of institutions, national, municipal, financial, medical and educational, should become equally available to everyone; that the quality of services provided by these institutions should improve; and that remote access should help the federal, city, and private funds to economise. As an example, when online processing of application forms for driving licences was introduced in the UK, the cost of this procedure decreased 100 times.

Many cities already recognize the benefits of open-ended systems. For example, in New York, Vienna, and Berlin, the city’s authorities disclose vast amounts of information: school rankings, statistics, detailed reports on budgetary spending and budget-funded contracts — in short, everything that is subject to public control. Contests for the most successful use of this information help ordinary citizens to be involved for the public good. In addition to this, the authorities are always open to citizens’ ideas and suggestions. “They (the authorities) gather ideas from citizens and engage them in the process of changing urban life. This is the ideology of an open city: when it is assumed that the entire city not only reveals the information, but also con76

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stantly collates all the complaints relating to its infrastructure,” said Ivan Begtin, Director of the non-profit partnership Information Culture.

LIVING NUMBERS According to Artem Yermolayev, Head of the Department of Information Technology and a Moscow Administration Minister, the first departments in Moscow to open their information systems to third-party developers will be the Moscow City Land Resources Department, the Department of Education, and the Department of Transportation and Road Infrastructure Development. Artem Yermolayev is certain that this will allow the city to save money on the development of its own customized applications, expand the range of services available to Muscovites, and encourage the development of the IT market.

However, Muscovites already have plenty to choose from the “apps menu” provided by Moscow’s Unified Mobile Platform (UMP). UMP is based on two key principles: that it is open and easily accessed by operators and third-party content providers, and that its use is free of charge for all applications and services. According to Artem Yermolayev, mobile services in Moscow will eventually be used by up to 5 million people.

Already, 500 thousand Muscovites take advantage of the mobile services available in the city. The web portal of Moscow state services (pgu.mos.ru) grows by 3.5 thousand new registered users every day. Sixty thousand Mus-

ARTEM YERMoLAEV, HEAD of THE DEPARTMENT of INfoRMATIoN TECHNoLoGY “In the future, the city’s mobile IT services will be used by up to 5 million people.”

IVAN BEGTIN, ExPERT “The ideology of an open city lies in the fact that not only does the entire city disclose information but also it constantly collates all the complaints relating to its infrastructure.”

covites receive information about the time their child arrived at or left school by SMS messages, 120 thousand use smartphone applications, and tens of thousands save time every day by making appointments at their local outpatient clinics online. A very popular app proved to be the notification service of traffic penalties. The city’s Department of Information Technology expects the most rapid growth of users to be in the segment of mobile payments, for example, the use of a mobile phone to pay for parking.

In the very near future, the city plans to launch mobile phone applications for citizens to enter their utilitymeter readings and also an application that allows drivers registered in the Unified Mobile Platform to communicate with each other just by knowing their vehicle licence number plate. Life for Muscovites will be made easier by online applications for medical appointments and school admissions, the ability to view their fines and utility fees through widgets, and much, much, more. The relevant information will be posted on the web portal data. mos.ru, which is currently running in test mode. When run in full mode, the web portal will provide Muscovites with the most diverse and useful information. For example, there will be more than 150 geo-referenced data layers from departmental systems. The Electronic Atlas will have information on the location of retail outlets with a licence to sell alcohol, be able to indicate the location of municipal tips, amusement parks, planned sites of hous-

es to be demolished, and more. It will be possible to give feedback to the content providers if there are errors. Currently such information is often provided only by private organizations, and is not always accurate. In the future, the Electronic Atlas will provide an option to file complaints to the relevant departments and to order services on-line.

BUDGET SPENDING ON THE CAPITAL PROGRAMME INFORMATION CITY, EXPECTED IN 2012–2016, WILL AMOUNT TO MORE THAN 205.4 BILLION ROUBLES ($6.55 BILLION). ONCE OFF-BUDGET SOURCES ARE INCLUDED, THIS FIGURE WILL RISE TO 329.5 BILLION ROUBLES ($10.5 BILLION) 77

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CITY GRIDS Smart grids can save energy as well as advanced technology and can also reduce the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere.

TH E C L E V E R f I N N S In the same way as Moscow, Helsinki, the capital of Finland, has a well-developed district heating system. Helsinki Energy is the leading company in this field. As early as the 1950s, this state-owned company began using cogeneration, the simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heat, and in this way significantly improved the production efficiency of both.

Since 2001, Helsinki has been successfully operating a district cooling system which is an alternative to the air-conditioners and ventilating fans that consume a lot of electricity. Houses are cooled with water chilled by absorption refrigerators, which run on otherwise wasted heat produced by the cogeneration plants during the summer. As a result, the COâ‚‚ emissions from the production of electricity, useful heat, and cooling in Helsinki, have decreased by almost 3 million tonnes per year. In 2008, the emission level was 5 per cent lower than in 1990 (the year taken as the reference point in the Kyoto Protocol) even with an increase in energy production volume by 50 per cent during the same period of time.

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MIAMI GRID At the start of the 21st century, Miami (USA) took up smart-grid technology. One of the smartest and most efficient energy grids was deployed as part of the Energy Smart Miami initiative, which enabled real-time control of energy distribution along the entire chain, from the power-generating companies to the power-consuming devices in households.

Miami houses, partly at the expense of state and federal budgets, were turned into smart homes, with in-house energy consumption displays or smart control panels, advanced wireless smart-meters and programmable thermostats to pilot electrical loads and reduce energy use during peak periods. Smart appliances can communicate with smart meters to reschedule high-energy functions and switch to a lower-consumption mode during peak demand periods. In Miami, air conditioners are the main consumers of electricity during the summer heat. The Energy Smart Miami initiative has equipped air conditioners with pro-

Network of Charging Stations for the MoESK-EV Project

1, SoLNECHNAYA ALLEY, ZELENoGRAD

VL. 21, LENINGRAD HIGHWAY, KHIMKI 31 S1, ALTUfYEVo HIGHWAY

31, YARoSLAVL HIGHWAY 1A, 3RD NIZHNELIHoBoRSKIY PRoYEZD

5TH KM, NoVoRIZHSKoYE HIGHWAY

6 S1, NIZHNYAYA KRASNoSEL'SKAYA STREET

5A, 2ND MAGISTRALNY TUPIK STREET

36 S1, SADoVNICHESKY STREET

14, GoRBUNoV STREET

1, PERoVSKAYA STREET

7 S4, DERBENEVSKAYA NABEREZHNAYA 12 K2, ENTUZIASToV HIGHWAY 3, KAZANSKY LANE

3 S1, 2ND PAVELETSKY PRoYEZD STREET

100, NoVAYA STREET, SKoLKoVo

AN ELECTRIC CAR TAKES BETWEEN 20–30 MINUTES AND 10–12 HOURS TO CHARGE AT THE FIRST NETWORK OF CHARGING STATIONS IN MOSCOW grammable thermostats which, in turn, are controlled by smart-meters that manage the temperature in the rooms without constant tuning.

Smart-meters communicate in two ways. Firstly, power-generating companies can monitor the power flow and redistribute it depending on the required quantity, the operating mode and the use of power by any activated household appliance and secondly, customers can monitor and adjust exactly how much electricity they are using at any given time. As a result, power consumption in different neighbourhoods has decreased by 8–17 per cent. Similar projects are underway in Austin (Texas), Boulder (Colorado), and Ontario in Canada.

A TANK fULL of KILoWATTS Cars are responsible for 90 per cent of the harmful emissions in large cities. The route to salvation is known, it is the development of environmentally friendly modes of trans-

27 K1, oBRUCHEV STREET

6, 1ST PoKRoVSKY PRoYEZD, KoTELNIKI

10, GoLUBINSKAYA STREET

port. In Russia, the first network of charging stations for electric vehicles was created as part of the pilot project MOESK-EV, initiated by the Moscow United Electric Grid Company (MOESK).

The first network of 19 charging stations was opened in Moscow in February 2012. Nine more stations will be added in 2013. The network includes three different types of charging stations suited to charging electric vehicles at different charge speeds and for differing lengths of time: from 20–30 minutes to 10–12 hours. The charging time depends on the type of vehicle and the capacity of its battery.

One of the objectives of the project is to collect data on which types of charging stations are best suited to the domestic climate and road conditions and the characteristics of the grid infrastructure. “The winner” will charge the electric cars during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

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“TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT IS BETTER GOVERNMENT” David Munn, Head of Information and Communication Technology for the Greater London Authority, believes that the openness of government ensures public trust and improves the efficiency and effectiveness of government services.

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phone applications that tell Londoners about the arrival time of the next bus, the location of road-works and the proximity of public conveniences.

Wireless networks have become available almost everywhere and next-generation mobile systems are constantly developing in order to meet the ever-growing expectations of forwardthinking citizens.

— How do technological innovations influence the life of a city as a whole?

— More and more people are using a variety of mobile devices. There is a growing demand for new social media, as a vast amount of information is now provided online. This gives us an opportunity to learn about the opinions, needs, and wishes of Londoners. We can engage with them and work together on new projects. We are not simply informing people about the government’s projects or actions but are also creating tools for the involvement and cooperation of citizens. Technology plays an important role in maintaining the dynamics of the urban economy. A networked infrastructure assists with the instant analysis of the needs of ordinary citizens and helps facilitate business growth.

— Despite the goals promulgated by Moscow’s government, our city lags far behind

— What kind of new control technology does the Greater London Authority use today?

— The purpose of my division of the Greater London Authority is to inform people about what is happening in their city. We do this by placing as much information as we can on our websites regarding meetings and conferences so that people can monitor the decision-making processes and other important events and procedures. We also provide information about government services which are needed by citizens for their daily lives. Recently, we deployed smart

London in terms of openness of officialdom.

How can we achieve a better transparency in the work of officials?

— The government should earnestly seek to engage people in cooperative work. Openness ensures the public trust and improves the efficiency and effectiveness of government services. Citizens fund the government and we believe that they have the right to know its activities. Citizens should be able to see where their money goes as this helps reduce corruption. The most successful municipal practices will get the public’s support. Also the government itself works much better when its work is transparent. Developers would also be included under this banner of openness. For example, while developing the London Datastore web site we asked developers what types of statistics and information they required on the city and its inhabitants. Now we are witnessing the emergence of a large number of systems, both commercial and non-commercial, which use publicly available information in an innovative way. These systems improve the quality of life in the city without involving heavy spending. I regard this as a positive trend.

“CITIZENS FUND THE GOVERNMENT AND WE BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW ITS ACTIVITIES. CITIZENS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THEIR MONEY GOES AS THIS HELPS REDUCE CORRUPTION. THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MUNICIPAL PRACTICES WILL GET THE PUBLIC’S SUPPORT” 81

CULTURAL PROGRAM

URBAN CULTURE D e C e M b e R 3 rd

D e CeMbeR 4 th

SA S k i A S A S S e n The first big event of the Forum’s cultural programme was a public lecture by Saskia Sassen, renowned American sociologist and expert in globalization, Robert S.Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University, and Co-Chair of the Committee on Global Thought. Sassen has visited Moscow before. Her lecture was on the subject of global cities, a term she coined in 1990 that is now in general use. Global cities constitute the main focus of her research and she has a comprehensive knowledge of their challenges and capabilities. Amongst other things, her lecture incorporated: the pernicious relationship between cities and the environment, the responsibility for which lies with the city’s residents as well as with the city officials; the search for a unique identity, so that cities can avoid the pitfall of becoming carbon copies of each other; and the role of citizens in transforming urban space.

Global cities are complex and developing systems. Participating in their development is an exciting challenge.

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P e C h AkUChA niGhT The Second Moscow Urban Forum’s cultural programme included PechaKucha Night — a fast-paced, multiple-speaker event.

Civil activists who have been involved in changing Moscow’s urban environment in the past couple of years shared their ideas in six-minute presentations. The list of presenters included: activists from the Partizaning movement, who use art as their tool and, amongst other actions, draw pedestrian crossings where clearly they ought to exist but, for some reason, do not; Dmitry Levenets, the coordinator of the project RosZhKH, an online portal set up to fight sloppy work done by local municipal services, used by hundreds of Muscovites to complain about dirty porches, leaking roofs, and other community issues; representatives of the online project Angry Citizen — a handy way to draw attention to unauthorized rubbish dumps in the yards and potholes in the roads; representatives of the Expert Centre Probok.net which uses civil movements to combat traffic jams; the creators of the The Village: Parking project; and many others.

GeRT URhAhn Prior to PechaKucha night, a series of lectures was held during the day. One of the lecturers was Gert Urhahn, Dutch urban designer and architect, and author of the book Spontaneous City. In his opinion, the era of large-scale urban planning is over. Urban planning should shift its focus from traditional, rigid city planning to an alternative, imaginative, thinking type of design. His view is that there is little sense in planning the development of the city for thirty years hence; its development should be the result of current supply and demand. The Spontaneous City is a city that is shaped by its occupants. To take London and Amsterdam as examples, entire neighbourhoods in those cities are built using private funding. The Spontaneous City is a city without huge, artificially created districts; it is a constantly evolving and developing city. At the same time, Gert Urhahn believes that the experiences of other, more successful cities should not be copied blindly. Moscow should explore their practices and “cherry pick” solutions.

The cultural section of the Second Moscow Urban Forum was as fascinating and packed with information as the main part.

Fe D e R i C O C A S A L e G n O Federico Casalegno, social scientist from the US and Director of the Mobile Experience Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, spoke about the impact of networked digital technologies on society and how interactive media can foster connections between people, disseminate information, and link physical places.

The examples are impressive: cars that can draw solar energy from buildings; an electric bicycle that is managed by your smartphone (for example, it can warn of potholes or sense changes in health); and bus stops with interactive message boards, where you can source babysitters or sell cars. Cutting-edge information technology helps thousands of total strangers to connect with each other.

T i M STOnOR Tim Stonor is the director of the Academy of Urbanism, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and the Managing Director of Space Syntax Limited. He advises governments and private corporations on the social, economical, and environmental role of space. He is uniquely aware of the importance of analysing human behaviour patterns mathematically — the ways in which people move, interact, and perform transactions in buildings and urban places.

He can, for example: explain scientifically why the property values on one street are higher than those on another; why a particular square is preferable for city festivals; and when the traffic flow in a particular area is likely to be problematic.

According to Stonor, a city’s design should have a human touch. There is no need for compulsory routes without room for spontaneous detours. People want to discover a city’s space and find the hidden gems on their own.

GARy hUSTwiT The Forum’s cultural programme concluded with a screening of Gary Hustwit’s Urbanized — the third part of his film trilogy on design and probably the best documentary on urban design in recent years. Urbanized is, in fact, a ninety-minute dialogue discussing how cities should and should not be designed. It meditates on why some cities are experiencing explosive growth and others are shrinking, on people’s roles in shaping their cities, and on which neighbourhoods, for example, would benefit from having bicycle tracks.

The film features the thoughts of the world’s foremost architects, such as Rem Koolhaas, Norman Foster, Oscar Niemeyer, and others.

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“WHY NOT DO IT IN RUSSIA? THeRe’S NOTHINg WRONg WITH fOllOWINg OTHeRS’ exAmpleS bUT I DON’T THINk THAT UNIveRSAl RecIpeS exIST. ONe cANNOT blINDlY cOpY lONDON, pARIS, OR NeW YORk. RUSSIA HAS ITS OWN cUlTURe AND ITS OWN IDeNTITY. TO fIND A SOlUTION fIT fOR mOScOW, YOU NeeD TO UNDeRSTAND HOW OTHeR cITIeS fUNcTION AND ‘cHeRRY pIck’ THe fINeST exAmpleS THAT WOUlD SUIT THe UNIqUe RUSSIAN cONTexT.” geRT URHAHN, URbAN eNvIRONmeNT DeSIgNeR. Gazeta.ru / 17.12.2012

According to Sergei KuznetSov, chief Architect of MoScow, in order to develop the city, A SerieS of pilot projectS will be lAunched to iMprove the condition of the roAdS, StreetS And courtyArdS — including pAving, lAndScAping, decorAtive lighting, And SMAll ArchitecturAl ornAMentS, MAde eye-cAtching by their intereSting deSign.

RIA News Real Estate / 05.12.2012

“THe DeSIgN pROjecT fOR THe zIl TeRRITORY INclUDeS THe cReATION Of A 25 HecTARe pARk. THIS IS AppROxImATelY THe SAme SIze AS gORkY pARk,” SAID YURI gRIgORYAN AT THe SecOND mOScOW URbAN fORUm, THe megAcITY ON A HUmAN ScAle. YURI gRIgORYAN, IS THe AUTHOR Of THe pROjecT AND HeAD Of THe ARcHITecTURAl bUReAU megAN. Kommersant-Dengi Magazine / 10.12.2012

“mOScOW’S NeW pROgRAmme TO ImpROve THe qUAlITY Of lIfe IN THe cITY ceNTRe cAN be expANDeD TO THe OUTSkIRTS,” SAID ReNOWNeD DANISH ARcHITecT IAN gAle AT THe SecOND mOScOW URbAN fORUm. RIA News Real Estate / 05.12.2012

MoScow iS decorAted feStively. the MoScow urbAn foruM wAS held lASt weeK. MuScoviteS were told About the AchieveMentS And gently reMinded thAt the city will not be Able to iMprove without their willing pArticipAtion. Kommersant-Dengi Magazine / 10.12.2012

A glImpSe Of THe fUTURe WAS mADe pOSSIble AT THe mOScOW URbAN fORUm, WHIcH bROUgHT TOgeTHeR THe WORlD’S ARcHITecTURAl elITe AND THe cITY gOveRNmeNT eN mASSe. AT THe OpeNINg ceRemONY SeRgeI SObYANIN SAID THAT mOScOW’S AReA HAS INcReASeD 2.5 TImeS IN jUST ONe YeAR. THe plANNINg pOlIcY HAS HAD TO be RevISeD SIgNIfIcANTlY. TV Centre / 08.12.2012

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THe cITY AUTHORITIeS HAve DecIDeD ON THe DevelOpmeNT Of INDUSTRIAl zONeS IN THe “OlD” AND THe “NeW” mOScOW. THe cITY HAll INTeNDS TO OpTImIze THe USe Of THe pRODUcTION fAcIlITIeS THAT ARe STANDINg IDle bY cReATINg ONe INDUSTRIAl pARk WITHIN THe RINg ROAD eveRY TWO YeARS. “ReSIDeNTS” Of THeSe pARkS WIll be “HIgH-TecH cOmpANIeS WITH HIgHlY qUAlIfIeD STAff.” RBC Daily / 06.12.2012

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