Newsletter #1

Megacities: Success Beyond the CentreDecember 5-7, 2013

Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design

International PartnerUrban Land Institute

With the support of the Moscow Government

MoScoW UrbAn ForUM

2 www.mosurbanforum.com

December 5-7, 2013

planning and architecture, involved in the development city suburbs.I see the Forum as the leading platform for discussing global best practice on the development of megacities and exchanging experience in relation to the following issues: how to identify or increase the value of the city outskirts? How to resolve transportation issues? What approach to development is most appropriate in light of the current situation? Where should growth centres be sought – in new Moscow, in the old residential suburbs, in industrial zones or satellite towns?

“

D uring the last decade the difference between flourishing regions in the centre of Moscow and underdeveloped areas in the city periphery is

becoming increasingly evident. Without a doubt this hinders the stable development of the whole megacity. In order to improve the situation it is necessary to create centres of attraction, in particular in the suburbs, which will bring together jobs, affordable housing, cultural and social infrastructure, to minimize the need to travel to the city centre and increase the accessibility of socially significant services, as a result improving quality of life.This topic will be discussed at the Third Moscow Urban Forum, taking place in early December in Moscow.International experience in relation to creating new growth centres is sufficiently extensive: examples include the creation of Greater Paris and the Greater rome development projects. The Forum’s invited guests include foreign experts, theoretical and practical specialists in the sphere of urbanism, urban

LeSS THAn THree MonTHS reMAIn TILL THe oPenInG oF THe THIrD MoScoW UrbAn ForUM. THIS yeAr’S ForUM IS DeDIcATeD To ISSUeS reLATeD To cITy SUbUrbS.

“We look forWarD to Seeing you at the thirD MoSCoW urBan foruM!”

andrei Sharonov,chairman of the executive committee of the Moscow Urban Forum

“

3 www.mosurbanforum.com

December 5-7, 2013

T his research is dedicated to the main trends in the development of suburbs

of megacities throughout the world. Its aim is to understand the potential of city suburbs and formulate ideas on how to use this potential. The work of the international research team is coordinated by yuri Grigoryan, head of the Project Meganom architectural bureau and Director of education at the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design.

the MoSCoW urBan foruM preSentS the firSt “arCheology of the SuBurBS” international reSearCh

The research focuses on five areas: society, governance, architecture and urban planning, culture, and economy. The research team includes leading specialists in the sphere of urbanism and architecture, experts on political, economic and social sciences: professor of

THe reSeArcH IS beInG PerForMeD In TWo DIrecTIonS: InveSTIGATIon oF MoScoW’S PoTenTIAL DeveLoPMenT ScenArIoS AnD AnALySIS oF THe exPerIence oF THe WorLD’S oTHer MeGAcITIeS (PekInG, MUMbAI, SAo PAULo, MexIco cITy, AMonG oTHerS). THe vecTor oF MoScoW’S DeveLoPMenT neeDS To TUrn AWAy FroM THe cenTre ToWArDS THe PerIPHery oF THe cITy. THIS PrIMArILy reLATeS To THe SPAce beTWeen THe THIrD TrAnSPorT rInG AnD THe MoScoW rInG roAD. THIS AreA WAS DeveLoPeD

very qUIckLy, over HALF A cenTUry, AnD IT HAS UnIqUe “GeneS” AnD HUGe FUrTHer DeveLoPMenT PoTenTIAL. ITS HIDDen qUALITIeS cAn be reALIzeD To MAke IT An ATTrAcTIve PLAce For LIFe, Work AnD reLAxATIon. IT’S noT by cHAnce THAT THe reSeArcH receIveD THe nAMe, “ArcHeoLoGy oF THe SUbUrbS.” LAyer by LAyer We WILL Uncover THe vArIeD ASPecTS oF THe DeveLoPMenT oF THe SUbUrbS. AT THe SAMe TIMe We HAve SeT oUrSeLveS THe GoAL oF TAkInG An InvenTory oF ProjecTS AnD APProAcHeS To THe TrAnSForMATIon oF THe PerIPHery oF cITIeS, To IDenTIFy THe MoST InTereSTInG AnD To PreSenT THeM beFore THe coUrT oF THe PArTIcIPAnTS oF THe MoScoW UrbAn ForUM

yuri grigoryan, curator,Archeology of the Suburbsresearch Project

the London School of economics richard Sennett, sociologist Saksia Sassen, urbanist Alexander vysokovsky, political theorist benjamin barber, architect and urbanist ellen Dunham-jones, journalist Grigory revzin, researcher Sergei Sitar, economist edward Glaeser, and many more.

“

“

The results of the research will be presented to the Forum’s participants and will become a key topic for discussion throughout the event.

4 www.mosurbanforum.com

December 5-7, 2013

For THe THIrD yeAr In A roW THe MoScoW UrbAn ForUM brInGS ToGeTHer LeADInG rUSSIAn AnD InTernATIonAL SPecIALISTS In THe SPHere oF UrbAnISM, cITy DeveLoPMenT AnD ArcHITecTUre

the BeSt of the BeSt: the MoSCoW urBan foruM attraCtS the WorlD’S leaDing expertS

I n 2013 the Forum’s invited guests include such leading experts in the sphere of developing city suburbs as President of the board of Directors of

the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy of new york enrique Penalosa, formerly the mayor of bogota, the capital of columbia; expert on the development of suburbs, ellen Dunham-jones; and founder of Architecture for Humanity, cameron Sinclair.

During the Forum, yasushi Aoyama, a doctor of political science and professor at Meiji University, Tokyo, will share his over 30 years of experience in relation to governance of a megacity and crisis management. between 1967 and 1999, Aoyama served in various departments of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. In 1999, he took on the role of vice Governor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. His major achievements include managing the consequences of the volcano eruption on Miyake Island in 2000. Aoyama has also written a series of books and articles on city governance, including the well-known research, use itallics for city of Tokyo, published in 2003. In 2004 Aoyama left government service, although he continues to actively provide consultation as Senior Advisor to the Government.

yaSuShi

aoyaMa

jAPAn

A doctor of political science and professor at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, Sophie body-Gendrot specializes in ethnic issues, citizen participation and resolving urban unrest in megacities. between 2008-2011 she was President of the european Society of criminology, she is a researcher at cnrS (the French national centre of Scientific research) and the French Ministry of justice, and has been awarded the status of an officer of the French Legion of Honor and of the order of Academic Palms. During her professional career, body-Gendrot has written over 20 books and hundreds of articles.

Sophie

BoDy-genDrot

FrAnce

5 www.mosurbanforum.com

December 5-7, 2013

How can “dead” zones in a city be transformed into socially beneficial spaces for work or leisure? How can the problem of disadvantaged suburbs be resolved? How can the issues faced by local communities be brought to the attention of the public at large? ellen Dunham-jones, member of the board of Directors of the American congress for the new Urbanism and head of the architecture program at the Georgia Institute of Technology, seeks answers to these questions in the USA, where suburbs that grew strongly in the era of prosperity and cheap fuel are now facing serious difficulties.

enrique Penalosa was Mayor of bogota from 1998 to 2011 and during this time he was able to create a new urban environment in the city, with parks and pedestrian zones. His greatest achievements include reducing bogota’s traffic by 40%. “In a good city every detail should show respect for human dignity”, believes Penalosa, who is currently President of the board of Directors of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, new york, and consultant to the governments of a number of countries.

Founder and executive Director of the non-profit charity Architecture for Humanity (architectureforhumanity.org), cameron Sinclair was listed in 2004 by use itallics for Fortune Magazine as one of seven people who are changing the world for the better, and since 2008 the “eternal optimist” has been included among the young Global Leaders of the World economic Forum. Thanks to his organization, modern architects have been able to work for the poorest and most remote corners of the planet; places where neither business nor the government could help people to live better lives.

ellen DunhaM-JoneS

USA

enrique penaloSa

coLUMbIA

CaMeron SinClair

USA

the BeSt of the BeSt: the MoSCoW urBan foruM attraCtS the WorlD’S leaDing expertS

6 www.mosurbanforum.com

December 5-7, 2013

The “What Moscow Wants?” project (moscowidea.ru) provides a platform for Moscow’s residents to submit ideas in relation to the transformation of

their city, and for professional designers and architects to apply their knowledge and experience in response to these wishes. The project’s mission is to unite the city’s inhabitants and professionals, and to propose that together they formulate a positive vision of the city’s future and have an impact on its development. The challenge thrown down by the project met with a strong response: during the project’s first month and a half more than 1,200 ideas were submitted.

BEAUTIFUL CITYThe top ten most popular proposals include two ideas in relation to Moscow’s sidewalks and curbs. It turns out that they irritate many of the city’s residents and remind them of the “soviet lack of taste”.

UNDERSTANDABLE CITY A lot of ideas were received under the “City Space” category, and one of the most popular proposals, receiving 120 votes, was submitted by the art director of RIA-Novosti, graphic designer and font design specialist, Ilya Ruderman: Moscow should have a unified navigation system allowing both residents and tourists to find their way around easily.

CLEAN CITYThe next most popular category relates to the problem of refuse collection. The majority of ideas related to sorting of garbage . According to Moscow’s residents the city is ready to implement the European system for sorting garbage into several different types. Moscow’s residents are also concerned by the insufficient number of garbage cans in the city, which results in the streets being very dirty.

Ideas will be collected until September 20. The next stage will begin on October 1, when designers and architects will be able to propose their projects for implementing the most interesting ideas submitted by residents and post them on the “What does Moscow want?” website. All of the concepts will be presented on December 5-7 at the Moscow Urban Forum. The Forum’s delegates will be able to vote for their favorite projects and assess their feasibility and potential for implementation.

WHAT MOSCOW WANTS?STRELKA INSTITUTE AND MOSCOW URBAN FORUM PROJECT

Olga Polishuk, Director, “What Moscow Wants?” project

MUSCOVITES PROPOSED MORE THAN 100 IDEAS DURING THE FIRST DAY OF THE PROJECT!

“

FOR COMPARISON: OUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS FROM NEW YORK, THE INSTITUTE FOR URBAN DESIGN, COLLECTED ONLY 700 IDEAS DURING THE SEVERAL MONTHS THAT THEY IMPLEMENTED THE SIMILAR “BY THE CITY/FOR THE CITY” PROJECT. MANY OF US HAVE TRAVELLED ABROAD AND SEEN HOW COMFORTABLY LIFE CAN BE ORGANIZED. BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT WE NEED TO TURN MOSCOW INTO AMSTERDAM. WE JUST WANT IT TO BE AS COMFORTABLE FOR RESIDENTS OF OUR CITY AS IT IS FOR RESIDENTS OF EUROPEAN CITIES.”

7 www.mosurbanforum.com

December 5-7, 2013

See you at the thirD MoSCoW urBan foruM!

December 5-7, 2013

Submit an application for registration at the forum

Subscribe to the forum news

Contacts of the organizational Committee of the Muf +7 (495) 788 35 [email protected] voznesensky Lane, Moscow, 125009