VEB.RF Hosted a Preliminary Selection of Master Plans for Far Eastern Cities to Be Presented at EEF 2022

1 August 2022

VEB.RF Hosted a Preliminary Selection of Master Plans for Far Eastern Cities to Be Presented at EEF 2022

Yuri Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District, and Maxim Oreshkin, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation, conducted a preliminary selection of master plans for presentation at the Eastern Economic Forum. Ten Far Eastern regions including Chukotka, Amur Region, Primorye Territory, Magadan Region, Kamchatka Territory, Buryatia, Khabarovsk Territory, Zabaikalye Territory, Sakhalin Region, and Yakutia all presented their projects.

As Yuri Trutnev reminded, master plans for cities in the Far East are being developed in accordance with the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which were announced at the Eastern Economic Forum last year. The best master plans will be presented in Vladivostok in September at the EEF 2022.

The main vectors of regional and urban development are determined together with the business community and citizens. VEB.RF financially supported master-planning in six cities: Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Chita, and Blagoveshensk. The State Development Corporation also plans to take part in their implementation, including investment in projects aimed at improving the quality of life. Master plans of Yakutsk, Ulan-Ude, and Magadan are being developed with the participation of DOM.RF.

The prerequisites for the development of the urban agglomeration of Anadyr were reported by the Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous District Roman Kopin. The master plan was developed around three main focus points: formation of high-quality infrastructure (no lesser than the one “on the mainland” but adapted to the weather conditions of Chukotka); disclosure of the cultural code of the region and its national characteristics; and update of approaches to construction and life in the Arctic. The main emphasis is placed on the construction of modern varied and affordable housing, including the development of single family homes, as it reflects the main demand of the residents. The plan provides for the formation of an educational cluster and the development of Arctic competences of the peoples of the North. Heated pedestrian overpasses and year-round public spaces will help make the Arctic city cosier, as well as the addition of construction of leisure and cultural centres, plus construction of an ethnopark. In the meantime, the development of Anadyr industrial park, the modernization of housing and utilities systems, the expansion of the medical cluster, including the construction of new buildings, and other work continues.

The advantage of Blagoveshchensk, according to the Governor of the Amur Region Vasily Orlov lies in its unique proximity to China. There is a continuous cross-border cooperation in trade and logistics, tourism, education, and culture between Blagoveshchensk and Heihe. Regional experts conducted a comparative analysis of the strategies of the two cities, identified areas in which they complement each other, compete with each other, and where they can create joint projects. The city’s border location, as well as the needs of both the residents and businesses determine the mission of the city's development. By 2030, Blagoveshchensk should become an export-import hub, a midpoint of cooperation between Russian and Chinese companies, an area of cultural interaction, a tourism and education centre.

Konstantin Shestakov, the Mayor of the Far Eastern capital, reported on the development of the master plan for Vladivostok. Mr. Shestakov talked about the prospects of rerouting the freight traffic from the main streets to the bypass route (the VKAD project) and laying down an urban train with modern interchange hubs. According to the mayor, Vladivostok citizens want landscaped embankments, beaches, green parks suitable for walking and recreation. One of the directions of the city development will be arrangement of the sea front along Amur and Ussuriysk bays and in Eastern Bosporus strait. Work is already underway in some areas. A central natural park may appear in Vladivostok. Its first phase is planned to be launched next year through the improvement of tourist trails on the territory of the Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

According to the Governor of the Magadan Region Sergey Nosov, the Magadan master plan provides for the development of the most populated neighbourhoods, including the Nagaevo residential area and the so-called third microdistrict. Magadan is the first of the Far Eastern cities to implement the integrated development standard on a single territory, the Gorokhovo field. The project envisages the construction of more than 200,000 square meters of modern and comfortable housing. The new homes will welcome Kolyma residents from dilapidating buildings, territories subject to resettlement, visiting professionals, as well as for the people wishing to improve their living conditions. The residential development will consist of medium- and low-rise neighbourhoods with all the necessary social infrastructure. The master plan provides for the development of sports infrastructure, including the completion of the Presidential sports complex and the creation of the Vyalbe ski stadium. It is also planned to build a modern passenger terminal at Sokol airport and create a sea facade of the city.

According to the Governor of the Kamchatka Territory Vladimir Solodov, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky should become a modern city surrounded by unique nature. In designing the master plan of the regional capital, the developers were guided by the needs of the inhabitants. For this purpose, the population surveys were conducted at the beginning of the development. The main block of the city renewal is associated with the construction of comfortable housing and improving the quality of urban life. Another direction is the creation of tourist attraction points. The draft master plan includes cluster development of the city. It outlines the following clusters: hospitality, deep processing of fish, shipbuilding and ship repair, Northern Sea Route logistics. Additionally, the local university campus will feature a creative cluster and an energy cluster with renewable energy sources.

According to the head of the Republic of Buryatia Alexei Tsydenov, the master plan of Ulan-Ude includes several focus areas. Above all there are projects for the further development of the city, taking into account comfortable living conditions for the citizens: reconstruction of the central part of the city and development of adjacent neighbourhoods, launching new public transportation routes, improvement of public zones and recreation areas, landscaping of parks and gardens. In addition, it is planned to develop Ulan-Ude as a major hub for tourists going not only to Baikal, but also to Asian countries.

Master plan for the development of Khabarovsk covers the urban economy in four key areas: the southern and northern, in the post-industrial urban core with expansion to the adjacent Khabarovsk District, and the Bolshoi Ussuriisky island, which will be a territory of international cooperation between Russia and China. Governor of the Khabarovsk region Mikhail Degtyarev talked about the planned revitalization of the downtown, which will make the main city streets and boulevards a comfortable place to walk. New well-appointed residential areas and neighbourhoods will appear in the city: microdistricts on Walnut Sopka, Dalnevostochny Quarter, Bryansky Lane, and a residential area on Svyaznaya Street. By 2026, 1.7 million square meters of housing will be commissioned.

Governor of Zabaikalye Territory Alexander Osipov presented the spatial development strategy of Chita. The master plan of the regional capital includes three directions. The first is the creation of modern and comfortable residential areas along the Chita River, including the construction of the Far Eastern Quarter in the former industrial zone. The second direction is connected with the reconstruction of the Kadala airport, which will include the extension of the runway and the reconstruction of the airport building. A multimodal logistics centre will be created next to the airport, which will increase the volume of freight transit through Chita and reduce logistics costs for imported goods. The third direction is connected with large-scale transformation of the central part of the city. A university campus and a new building for the Mining Academy will be built here, a medical cluster will be formed, and a cultural centre will appear.

Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko presented a project for the development of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk agglomeration until 2030, which will be boosted by the reconstruction of the Korsakov port. Over the next three years, the plan is to modernize the port's hydraulic structures and conduct dredging operations. The port will include two fish processing plants, a terminal for the transhipment and storage of refrigerated and universal containers, plus the production of small vessels from composite materials. An important role in the development of the agglomeration is assigned to the creation of an aviation hub with developed passenger and cargo transportation, a logistics centre at the crossroads of air and sea transport routes. Simultaneously with the launch of investment projects the quality of the urban environment will increase due to the integrated development of the territory.

According to the head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Aisen Nikolayev, the master plan of Yakutsk involves the implementation of large-scale projects. In particular, the Arctic Centre of Epic and Arts will be created, and the Park of Future Generations will appear next to it. A comprehensive renovation of the city districts and construction of new housing is planned. For example, the Zvezdny residential district is being built on the site of a former military facility. An example of large-scale reconstruction of historical districts is the transformation of the freight terminal at the Yakutsk river port, aka the Lena Pillars project. The modern residential area will combine business, culture, and housing on the bank of the Lena River, and will become the river facade of the republic's capital. Plans include the development of the inter-university campus of the North-Eastern Federal University and the construction of a supercampus in the north of the urban agglomeration.

Following the discussion of the master plans, Maxim Oreshkin drew the attention of regional heads to the need to strengthen their economic component. It is important to understand how the new economy of the city will be built. It is the economy that will allow to make a qualitative leap in development, to independently earn money to upgrade infrastructure and urban environment, thereby capitalizing certain areas and creating drivers for development, which will ultimately improve the level and quality of life of citizens.

Summarizing the review of the master plans, Yuri Trutnev noted the importance of taking into account the opinions of the residents of the cities. “We need to understand what people want and do everything possible to make sure that their wishes are fulfilled,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

According to Yuri Trutnev, the submitted master plans are large-scale projects for the renovation of the Far Eastern cities, designed for several years, so it is important to determine the stages of implementation of the proposed activities. “Master plans need to be broken down by years, to identify the stages of their implementation. It is also important to understand what values will be created in the process of implementation of the proposed master plan, what new opportunities our Far Eastern cities will get,” Yury Trutnev summed up.

VEB.RF Hosted a Preliminary Selection of Master Plans for Far Eastern Cities to Be Presented at EEF 2022

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