Rustam Minnikhanov holds a meeting on project “SMART City Kazan”

Today President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov held a meeting on project “SMART City Kazan”.

The meeting was held in the Government House of the Republic of Tatarstan and attended by representatives of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan as well as heads of major companies of the Republic.

Opening the meeting Rustam Minnikhanov noted that project “SMART City Kazan” played a strategic role in the development of Kazan as an international metropolis. “The project is a kind of a driver for the development of our capital. This is one of the most attractive points of the development that we have, and it is the most promising one”, said the President.

It is to be recalled that the project is being supervised by the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan represented by the Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan; the operator of the project is a specially created organization “Corporation of the development of the Republic of Tatarstan” OJSC interacts with an international working group. Master plan “SMART City Kazan” is being developed by Malaysian companies AJM Planning & Urban Design Group, Straits Consulting Engineers together with SUE “Tatinvestgrazhdanproyekt”.

According to Rustam Minnikhanov these companies have a great experience in the creation of “smart” cities. When in Malaysia (January 8th-10th, 2013) the President visited “Medini Iskandar Malaysia” which is a similar project to “SMART City Kazan” developed by “AJM Planning & Urban Design Group”.

The President also noted that the project “SMART City Kazan” should be implemented taking into account the plans for future development of Kazan. “The implementation of such projects as “Innopolis”, “SMART City Kazan” and the development of the territory near Zelenodolsky region will be successful only if they are integrated with each other, creating a single concept of “Big Kazan”. Now we have to lay the appropriate foundations for the development of Kazan as a large city”, said Rustam Minnikhanov.

Head of the Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan Linar Yakupov reported on the updated concept of the project and the current stage of its development. The total area of ​​ “SMART City Kazan” is 650 hectares. The territory is located 3 km from the international airport and 15 km from the center of Kazan. A railway of intermodal transport “Aeroexpress” linking “SMART City Kazan” to the international airport and the centre of Kazan will be laid through the territory of the city.

The “smart”" city will house a social and business center, a research and educational center, a special economic zone and a tourism zone. It is planned that the number of residents of “SMART City Kazan” will be about 56 000 people.

The construction of engineering and transport infrastructure was also discussed during the meeting.