The President of the Republic of Tatarstan demanded that seminars concerning urban planning development should be held every month
A research and practice seminar concerning urban planning issues was held today in Kazan State University of Architecture and Construction. The President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Ildar Khalikov, Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing of the Republic of Tatarstan I.E.Faizullin, heads of major cities of the Republic and representatives of some ministries and departments as well as of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Tatarstan took part in the seminar called “Analysis of the best practices of urban planning development of the world city centers”.
In the course of the seminar the scientists of Kazan State University of Architecture and Construction and leading scientific experts in urban planning from Moscow and Saint Petersburg told about modern approaches to urban planning policy currently existing in the world practice, and shared their opinions regarding the further development of the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan as a modern metropolitan city.
Director of Higher school of urban planning of Higher School of Economics Aleksandr Vysokovsky considers the lack of the General layout conforming to modern standards to be the main urban planning problem of Kazan city. According to the expert a rather different approach is essential today. The territory should be used rationally and the city should pass from mono-centricity to a multicore system. Apart from the reconstruction of historic buildings it is essential to preserve and develop green zones in the center of Kazan as well as to create more comfortable conditions for people. According to the expert special attention should be paid to “aestheticization” of urban environment. As far as the transport problem is concerned, in this sphere as A.Vysokovsky remarked, it is essential to ensure “connectivity” of the road network, and apart from main roads construction, attention should be paid to driveways.
Doctor of Architecture, Professor of Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Construction Valery Nefyodov told the participants of the seminar about the most successful examples of urban environment arrangement in various metropolitan cities of Europe and the world the experience of which may be used by Kazan city.
Summarizing the seminar Rustam Minnikhanov mentioned the importance of such meetings and the significance of recommendations given by scientists. “It is essential to listen to experts. And we live by our own impressions – go somewhere, see somewhat. You should show us our mistakes”, said the President of the Republic of Tatarstan addressing to the scientists. The President proposed to make such seminars regular and hold them once a month.