Small Towns and Key Settlements: The Linchpin of Russia’s Socioeconomic Development
The Russian Ministry of Agriculture is preparing a project for the development of 2,000 key settlements that will start being implemented in 2025 based on instructions from the Russian president. The Russian Competition of the Best Projects for Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment has been held since 2018 and involves cities with populations of up to 200,000 people. Many of these cities are small (with populations under 50,000 people).
Small towns remind us of our childhood, yet they seem to have become a thing of the past. It is no secret that young people are eager to leave small towns and rush off to megacities for knowledge, greater impressions, and more money.
Today, Russia faces the difficult albeit solvable task of making small towns attractive for all generations. A renaissance of small towns is approaching, where the main role is played by individuals and the realization of their talents and ambitions.
However, developing the infrastructure of small towns and creating new jobs, including ones that require skilled professionals, is the only way we can say that we are ready to not only retain, but also develop the population of cities.
At the session, we will discuss how we can rapidly improve the quality of life in the outskirts of urban and rural agglomerations in the Far East and the Arctic and adapt the successful practices of cities in Central Russia to the country’s northern territories.

Moderator:
Sofia Poznanskaya — General Director, Center for Territorial Development of the Ivanovo Region

Panellists:
Roman Kapinos — First Deputy General Director, FSK Region
Mikhail Kuznetsov — Director, Eastern State Planning Center (FANU Vostokgosplan)
Ilya Petrasov — Development Director, Samolet Group of Companies
Grigory Solomin — Managing Partner, NOVAYA
Ekaterina Cherkes-zade — Director of the Center for the Development of Creative Economy, Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects

Russia has launched a massive programme under the auspices of the Science and Universities national project for the construction of world-class university campuses with housing for students and teachers, as well as educational, laboratory, and sports complexes. Leading international experts agree that modern infrastructure is essentially the main factor when choosing a place to obtain a higher education and, consequently, a future profession.
In addition, not only are campuses an attractive environment; they are also knowledge-intensive university laboratories at which students take their first steps in science and research.
Campuses are also designed to intensify collaboration between science and education and the real sector of the economy. They are a one-stop shop for the requisition of innovative products and research.
What canons and progressive ideas are currently popular in conceptual solutions for world-class campuses? What are the current approaches to building university complexes and recreation areas? Dozens of Russian universities are already taking part in the project and their numbers are only growing.
Some regions have already implemented their own campus projects, while others are only dreaming and planning of going down this road.

Moderator:
Yury Marfin — Rector, Pacific State University

Panellists:
Амир Идиатулин — Генеральный директор IND Architects
Aleksandra Lebedeva — Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Kamchatka Territory
Alexey Rakitsky — Minister of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Sakhalin Region
Nataliya Reznichenko — General Director of the Investment Division of VIS Group

The Urban Hub discussion platform is opening its doors with invariable success for the fourth time. The central theme of Urban Hub at the Eastern Economic Forum 2024 will be ‘City by the Water’. Almost all cities in the Far East and the Arctic are located on sea or river routes. This crucial factor directly affects the development of the urban environment, economy, intercity and interregional connections, and human capital.

Cities by the water are committed to environmental sustainability by efficiently using their water resources and minimizing their negative environmental impact as much as possible.

During the opening of the platform, partners and organizers will share their expectations about the work of the platform and prospects for further cooperation.

Moderator:
Yulia Zubarik —

Panellists:
Alexey Almazov — Managing Partner for the Regions Segment, FSK Group of Companies
Arman Bareyan — GITS, architect, director
Gaidukov Alexander — Head, "Strana Development" Group of Companies
Elvira Nurgalieva — Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic
Dmitry Ryabov — Chairman of the Board of Directors, DARS
Nikita Stasishin — Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation
Stanislav Taratunin —
Aigul Yusupova — Managing Partner, Unikey

Cities in the Russian Far East face unique challenges and opportunities in the development of urban infrastructure. In recent years, they have been actively working on projects to attract private investment and create public-private partnerships. In 2023, the Far East accounted for about a quarter of the Russian PPP projects market with total investment of more than RUB 600 billion.
These projects not only contribute to the modernization of urban infrastructure, but also play a key role in the creation of new socioeconomic conditions. The involvement of business helps solve two key problems: a rapid increase in total investment in the shortest possible time and the use of successful experience from other regions of Russia and the world.
What approaches and programmes are being adopted to attract private funds for the development of urban infrastructure in the Far East? How can business and government effectively expand their collaboration? What PPP examples are the Far Eastern regions using a guide?

Moderator:
Alexey Almazov — Managing Partner for the Regions Segment, FSK Group of Companies

Panellists:
Kirill Bychkov — Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Pavel Matyukhin — Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Amur Region
Yakov Pronin — Investment Director of Samolet Group
Sergey Romashov — Member of the Board of Directors, VIS Group
Nikita Stasishin — Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation

The rapid growth in housing and infrastructure construction has been accompanied by active digitalization, which is becoming an integral component of maintaining high rates of planning, construction, equipment, and sales of residential and commercial properties.
Modern technologies are actively permeating the entire development cycle. Further digitalization will contribute to the introduction of generative designs for both the spatial planning of a territory and its infrastructure support. In particular, resource supplying organizations will be able to promptly monitor and respond to the depreciation of public utilities and the quality of services provided to the population.
Urban digital twins will soon be responsible for monitoring the implementation of master plans, urban construction, and infrastructure repair.
At the construction and operational stage, phygital services, sales ecosystems, as well as smart services, items, and homes are becoming more popular. All these technologies help adapt developers’ conventional solutions to the individual needs of future residents and provide them with comfort and a safe life.
What is the future of digitalization in the construction industry of Russia and the Far East? What other ecosystems and smart equipment should developers be introducing in their projects above all else? Will this affect the cost of housing in Russia and the Far East?

Moderator:
Roman Kapinos — First Deputy General Director, FSK Region

Panellists:
Kirill Berman — Executive Director of Digital Transformation, Far East and Arctic Development Corporation
Максим Зорин — Директор по продажам федеральных проектов группы «Самолет»
Sophia Pulikovskaya — Director of Regional Development Division, DOM.RF

Cities have historically developed around rivers, lakes, and seas. Transport, logistics, and industrial facilities were all formed in coastal areas. Modern cities have revealed the potential of embankments for citizens and tourists. They ensure a pleasant urban environment and serve as key spaces for the development of the urban economy.

How can we find a functional balance and comprehensively transform embankments to meet the modern needs of people and businesses?

How should embankments be integrated into a city’s water and green landscape and protected against flooding and groundwater flooding, which are rising due to climate change?

What is the best way to build effective mechanisms for public and private investment in coastal areas?

Moderator:
Yulia Zubarik —

Panellists:
Alexey Almazov — Managing Partner for the Regions Segment, FSK Group of Companies
Anton Glushkov — chief architect of the Primorsky Territory
Daria Dergunova — Director for Urban Development, Samolet Group of Companies
Alexey Rakitsky — Minister of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Sakhalin Region
Anton Finogenov — Director of Urban Environment Development, DOM.RF
Konstantin Shestakov — Head of the City of Vladivostok

Front row participant:
Ivan Kuryachiy — Managing Partner, New Land ("Novaya Zemlya")

As water shortages continue to grow, conscious consumption is becoming a key tool for resource management. According to the World Bank, water consumption is increasing worldwide each day. The UN projects that more than half of the world’s population may face water shortages by 2050.
This may lead to the deterioration of public health, decreased food production, and social instability in countries that experience shortages. Although Russia is not threatened by this as a whole, individual regions of the country may face water shortages as early as 2035. Even today, clean drinking water is only available thanks to modern purification technologies. The threat of a shortage of clean water is prompting countries to develop a new consumption model and transform their current systems.

How can we change consumers’ attitudes towards water?

How can we reduce losses and improve the quality of existing water resources?

How should water sources be protected against the environmental disasters that are disrupting the planet?

What is the best way to build modern infrastructure that meets the challenges of the new times?

Moderator:
Alexey Kharnas — Chief Editor, Expert

Panellists:
Angelina Aslanova — Angelina Aslanova Architects Architectural Bureau, Founder, architect
Anna Baginskaya — Managing Director, Head of the PPP Center, Sberbank
Lyubov Vasilevskaya — associate professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of the World Ocean, Far Eastern Federal University
Lev Gorilovskiy — Chairman of the Board of Directors, POLIPLASTIC Group
Alexey Tokar — Executive Director for Public-Private Partnership Projects JSC "KRDV"
Natalya Trunova — Auditor, Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation
Anton Finogenov — Director of Urban Environment Development, DOM.RF
Maxim Shirokov — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rosvodokanal

The National Programme for the Socioeconomic Development of the Far East indicates that more than 3 million m2 of housing needs to be built per year by 2035 in order to improve housing conditions and people need to be resettled from more than 1.7 million m2 of dilapidated housing.
For the country’s central regions, this is a feasible task, but for the Far East, it is a challenge not only for the region itself, but for the entire country.
The government provides maximum support to developers and buyers in the form of benefits and programmes to stimulate purchasing power and developers’ interest in going to the Far East.
What is currently happening in the construction sector, where the construction and technological base is only expanding and demand is just emerging. Are major construction holdings going to the Far East? How is the government supporting the construction sector? And how are local builders coping with the exponential growth in demand for their products?

Moderator:
Roman Kapinos — First Deputy General Director, FSK Region

Panellists:
Olga Ivannikova — Deputy Chairman of the Government of Primorsky Krai
Vitaly Mutko — Chief Executive Officer, DOM.RF
Natalia Potamianos — Lemana PRO (Leroy Merlin), Executive Director of PRO
Dmitry Ryabov — Chairman of the Board of Directors, DARS
Nikita Stasishin — Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation
Aigul Yusupova — Managing Partner, Unikey

Front row participants:
Gaidukov Alexander —
Andrey Konovalov — East Development Corporation, Director of the Department of Territorial Development
Stanislav Taratunin — Samolet Group of Companies PJSC, Director of the Far East cluster

The cities of the Far East are currently among the most rapidly developing cities in Russia. Thanks to active policies and state support, their economies are developing, their populations are increasing, the number of modern, multi-profile jobs is on the rise, and local, international, and regional partnerships are being established.
This all poses challenges for the chief architects of the cities, many of whom are graduates of the Architects.RF programme, in terms of creating a truly comfortable urban environment, developing transport, social, and recreational infrastructure, and forming a unified image of the city that intertwines its history and identity with its new development trajectory.
What urban development mechanisms are most popular in the Far East and why?
Which regional and international colleagues do chief architects exchange experience with and ask for advice? What will the cities of the Far East look like in 2030?

Moderator:
Petr Strelec — Head, Center for the Development of Territories of the Amur Region

Panellists:
Лилия Гиззятова — Советник мэра города Владивостока, заместитель директора- главный архитектор МАУ "Дирекция общественных пространств города Владивостока"
Andrey Krolevetsky — head of the department of architecture and urban planning, Blagoveshchensk
Irina Markina — Competence Center for the Urban Environment of Yakutia “LETO”, Head
Lyubov Papok — Head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chief Architect under the Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Alexey Rakitsky — Minister of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Sakhalin Region

At present, 28 million households in Russia consist of only one person (out of 66 million). In Moscow and other large cities, single people make up more than half of the social units. And only 14.5% of all households in Russia (9.5 million) consist of traditional families with children. Only 1.5% of all households in Russia (roughly 1 million) consist of traditional families with three or more children. This household structure has catastrophic consequences for the reproduction of the Russian population. The Russian president’s address to the Federal Assembly turned out to be unprecedented in terms of the level of systemic decisions about ways to preserve the population. One of the key messages was that demographics can only be influenced in a comprehensive manner. Housing and environmental factors continue to play a major role in socio-demographic parameters in Russia and around the world. A strong family is the goal of the country’s demographic policy. What is a large family? It is a family with lots of children. But the question remains open: what population structure should we be aiming for and in whose interests should we adjust housing and environmental conditions?

Moderator:
Yulia Zubarik —

Panellists:
Alexey Almazov — Managing Partner for the Regions Segment, FSK Group of Companies
Kirill Bychkov — Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Alexander Panin — Director of the Center for Geodemography and Spatial Development, Lomonosov Moscow State University
Yakov Pronin — Samolet Group of Companies, investment director
Nikita Stasishin — Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation
Denis Filippov — Deputy General Director, DOM.RF

Front row participants:
Natalia Neverskaya — Director for Government Relations, Leroy Merlin
Dmitry Safronov — DARS Group of Companies, commercial director
Aigul Yusupova — Managing Partner, Unikey

Green master plans are individual development strategies that help justify the budgets needed to prevent changes associated with climate risks. Master plans provide for the harmonious development of a city’s water and green landscape with a well-designed system of public spaces and the development of a territory’s pedestrian connectivity. However, there is an alternative view of these strategies, which may include, for example, repairs to dams that prevent floods and expenses to deal with the aftermath of droughts or fires.

It should be pointed out that green master planning is an experimental format in urban planning that can contribute to solutions in master plans that have already been developed. As such, the opinions of industry experts and scientists play a special role in developing this format. In addition, sustainable development goals are also being studied and require constant interaction with the expert community.

What challenges are currently being encountered with green master planning in the cities and regions of the Far East? How and where are the principles of sustainable urban planning being incorporated into Far Eastern cities? Are there enough human resources to develop the industry?

Moderator:
Anastasia Goncharuk — Director of the Far Eastern Youth Organization “Architects of the East”

Panellists:
Daria Dergunova — Director for Urban Development, Samolet Group of Companies
Feliks Mashkov — Founder, Concrete Jungle Architects’ Bureau
Vadim Pasichnikov — Executive Director KAMURU Bureau
Marina Slutskaya — Director of the Sustainable Development and International Cooperation Unit, DOM.RF
Kirill Solgalov — SPI Planning Group, Deputy Director, Chief Architect

Young people are one of the drivers of Russia’s development, as President Vladimir Putin has emphasized. This is why the country plans in 2024 to start implementing the unique Youth of Russia national project, which aims to provide comprehensive support for and ensure the development of the young generation, including in terms of creating the infrastructure young people need to live, evolve, grow in their careers, and create families in Russian cities.

Developers and architects immediately seized on the president’s idea and have already begun implementing it throughout the country. Creative clusters are being actively built in the Far East, youth sports and leisure facilities are being created inside residential buildings, and the urban environment is being comprehensively improved and transformed. This agenda not only pays special attention to the current needs of young people, but also to future young generations, i.e., the children and teenagers of today.

Are there any other criteria or sites that are essential for a youthful city? What must it absolutely have in the future? How can we get young people involved in the process of building youth infrastructure? Will this infrastructure be effective in 10-15 years or should we start thinking about something new right now?

Moderator:
Natalia Timokhina —

Panellists:
Irina Markina — Competence Center for the Urban Environment of Yakutia “LETO”, Head
Ilya Petrasov — Development Director, Samolet Group of Companies
Valery Savostenko — Architect-urban planner DNS “Development"
Victoria Salakhova — General Director Design Bureau “Sea"
Sergey Fedorov — Chief Architect of the projects architectural bureau "East Architects"
Aigul Yusupova — Managing Partner, Unikey

Abstract: presentation about professional development by urban development experts and possible advice to young professionals at the start of their career path

Moderator:
Yulia Novikova — Director of Personnel and Communications, Urban Planning Bureau “Master's Plan”

Panellists:
Vasily Andriyasov — Chief Project Engineer, Vladivostok
Anastasia Goncharuk — Director of the Far Eastern Youth Organization “Architects of the East”
Konstantin Korotov — General Director, Kamchatka Development Corporation
Anton Savenko — member of the Decision.City