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THE SOVIET LEGACY IN THE URBAN MORPHOLOGY OF MAJOR RUSSIAN CITIES
Proceedings of the XXV ISUF International Conference, 2018
All post-Soviet cities look similar. They also demonstrate similar development trends, have similar issues and like no other illustrate the concept of 'path-dependency'. As a consequence of very specific political and economic conditions for their development, these cities have acquired distinctive features and elements of urban structure, and today's planners have to deal with the imprint left by the Soviet era. Due to the longest history of 'socialist experiment' Russia became the main ground for the implementation of the Soviet urban-planning model and today its cities present a rich empirical base for studying the consequences of the systemic impact of the administrative-command system as a substitute to the market one. The study draws attention to the Russian cities with a population of over 1 million people since the typical problems and the need for the effective urban form are more pronounced there. The author consistently discusses a range of the urban form characteristics of the major Russian cities looking for the similar traits in their morphology. The aspects considered include settlement size and general density along with the spatial distribution of population evaluated by means of three indicators: density profile, density gradient and dispersion index, and also the structural form and the network configuration.
Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 2022 15(2), 2022
The article considers the evolution of specific spaces of the Soviet and post-Soviet cities of Siberia and the Russian Far East, defined as the «private housing sector». Based on interviews and observations in the regional centres of Siberia and the Russian Far East, the authors show that in the Soviet city, the «private housing sector» is a locality where the architectural landscape, everyday practices, and the organization of communities are weakly associated with urbanism. This exclusion was consolidated by the system for placing urban infrastructure, which can be traced according to the data of urban GIS. At the same time, the specifics of cities enlargement in the Soviet period led to the close integration of such localities into the urban space. The evolution of the «private housing sector» in the post-Soviet period did not lead to the inclusion of such localities in the practices of urbanism. On the contrary, they develop predominantly along with the inner suburb model, reproducing non-urban architecture and everyday practices. Nevertheless, such localities continue to remain an integral part of the post-Soviet city, determining the eclecticism of its physical and social space. This lets us suggest that the organic inclusion of non-urban localities and communities in the urban space can serve as one of the key reasons for highlighting the «Global East» model of the city.
Proceedings 24th ISUF 2017 - City and Territory in the Globalization Age, 2017
The results of morphological analyses of the urban structures more and more attract attention with the aim of understanding the processes and laws of transformation of the city fabric. Comparison of the case studies representing different regional cultures gives reasons to presume the presence of global trends as well as local features. Their dialectical contradictions lead to a unique urban form very often. Thus, recent global conversion caused very similar urban problems as well as methods for their solution characteristic to the whole world. Popularization rate of the past is comparable to the speed of propagation of a certain fashion lifestyle. As the result-reversal of thinking to find local uniqueness of each settlement and this tendency again step by step became global. From other side universal morphological conceptual apparatus built on factual analysis allows to trace the objective process of urban transformation and to give some forecasts concerning changes in their structure. Assumptions must be considered with the adjustment for the modern scale. Never the less contemporary cities-Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk demonstrate building and fabric adaptation, redevelopment, additive processes, contrast with transformative processes, agricultural residual (areas of town dachas in Russian urban tradition), augmentative redevelopment, different scales of changes of use, loft-cycle (second, re-use) development, street markets concretion, other, characteristic not only for the historic heritage areas but for the modern city as well. Russian cities in our days demonstrate urban-rural fringe developmentsomewhat even similar to "cocktail-belts" but with the local eclectic Siberian architecture.
Dynamics of Krasnoyarsk Urban Space in the Early 21st Century
Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences
The results of analysis of urban space symbols that facilitated the change and formation of Krasnoyarsk urban environment in the early 21st century are presented in this article. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the transformation of material, behavioral and iconographic symbols of urban environment as characteristics of the rationally organized territory of Krasnoyarsk in the period from 2000 to 2019. The method of urban symbolic ecology, which allows to consider the properties of the iconic objects of urban environment in a comprehensive manner was chosen for the analytical review of the urban environment. Based on the conducted research, conclusions about urban space transformation connected with the new development of the previous iconic symbols and appearance of new material and behavioral ones were made. The study results indicate of the appearance of the increasing number of objects and events aimed at the development of leisure activities in Krasnoyarsk. The dat...
Socio-Environmental Paradigm of Architectural Knowledge and Russian Strategies for Urban Formation
Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Architecture: Heritage, Traditions and Innovations (AHTI 2020), 2020
This paper is about the systems of architectural knowledge in terms of their connections with strategies of urban formation. The author's concept of paradigms of socio-architectural knowledge is a theoretical basis of research. Each paradigm is a set of social models, incl. models of a human being, of life, of environment-making and others. The same approach of models analysis characterizes the social strategies of urban formation as presented in the works of Russian authors. To identify the content of social models two methods applied: conceptual and terminological analysis of texts on the platform of e-library.ru and scientometric analysis of the planning literature. Three strategies were identified and considered, urban construction, urban regulation and urban arrangement, which have proven to be more or less favorable conceptual contexts for the implementation of the socio-environmental approach to the formation of the city.
The movement of development indicators toward quality of life brings to the problem of the measurement of the latter. In literature natural and social environment quality are undoubtedly regarded as quality of life components together with material well-being, education, skills, health of the population and other characteristics. However the set of quality of life indicators is still under discussion. Environment studies in Russia are usually based on systematic approach and consider the impact of objective quantitative characteristics of the urban environment on the population. In contrast we suggest environmental approach to urban environment quality measurement. People, their subjective perception of the urban environment, evaluations and opinions are placed into the center of the concept. We look at the convenience of the city for the citizens, its friendliness and suitability for their activities and life plans realization from the three points of view. Firstly, perception of city as a whole is considered. Secondly, we narrow our study to municipal level and describe the most and the least severe problems in the neighborhood. Thirdly, we go to the quality of housing and communal services being the overlapping area of personal and urban interests. Since balanced development of the urban environment would not be possible regardless the most vulnerable socio-demographic groups’ needs, infrastructure problems and limitations on basic services accessibility are considered with special attention to families with dependent children and the elderly. Our research is based on data of 2012 wave of annual representative survey "Moscow and its residents" with a sample of 3106 respondents. The data consist of wide range of information on Moscow city households, including not only their urban perceptions but also demographic characteristics, migration records, income, consumption, health, education, etc. The study has shown that the population of the capital has a positive perception of city as a whole. There is a high degree of citizens’ commitment and relatively low level of conflict concerning to urban environment. The same conclusion is true for groups with specific requirements such as families with minor children and the elderly. Although families with children and the elderly do not differ from others in city as a whole perception, they are significantly more sensitive to the problems in everyday contacts area. Since we face the challenge of an aging population, the issue of senior citizens quality of life should be constantly on the agenda. In many countries the idea of active aging has been actively promoted, however, it cannot become feasible under restrictions of access to quality services and appropriate urban infrastructure for older people. By logistic modelling we investigate the relationship between urban environment perceptions and wide range characteristics of Moscow dwellers with the main conclusion that low income households are more likely to live in infrastructure of low quality. Therefore quality of life of those families is subject to double-negative effect. Infrastructure development in municipalities and services improvement could smooth out differences in the standard of living of the citizens and reduce the impact of these negative externalities. The suggested methodology of quality of life research via urban environment perceptions is not Moscow specific and can be easily applied to similar studies in other cities of Russia.
Integrated Assessment and Gis-Mapping of the Environmental State of the City of Voronezh (Russia)
GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY, 2015
The authors have created a geoinformation-analytical system (GIS) for integrated assessment and mapping of the ecological conditions of the territory according to the criteria of anthropogenic impact and quality of the urban environment, as well as the response of woody plants and the health of the child population (on the example of Voronezh-the largest industrial city of the Central Chernozem region). It has been identified that anthropogenic pollution is formed by the industrial-transport sector and varies with regard to the features of the functional planning infrastructure; near the industrial facilities of the petrochemical profile in the left-Bank sector of the city, conditions for the existence of woody plants significantly worsen, which is manifested in the inhibition of their development; child morbidity rate is significantly higher in industrially polluted neighborhoods with high load of pollutant emissions from industry and transport. The diseases primarily associated with pollution are congenital anomalies, neoplasms, endocrine pathology and diseases of the urogenital area. The industrial zone is the main contributor to the total pollution of air, but the transport zone is the main contributor to the total pollution of soil and snow cover.
Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences , 2020
The article discusses the features of the impact of compaction of residential development on the most important environmental component of the urbanized system-landscaping of house territories. Using the example of the city of Kazan, the study considered the environmental consequences of compaction and compared two types of development, that is, complex and point-based, implemented in different historical periods: 1959-1979 and 2000-2019. Digital models of courtyards and land plots containing residential objects and green spaces created by the authors allowed us to make calculations and further comparisons of specific indicators that characterize the main features of the point and complex buildings. Within the limits of residential development formed in the period 2000-2019, the specific indicators of local greening do not correspond to the approved urban planning normative values. This fact leads to negative consequences, which include the destruction and suppression of existing landscaping, reducing the area of green zones, increasing the anthropogenic load on the territory, etc. These processes affect the quality of the urban environment for both residents of new buildings and residents of the compacted area. The world experience of urban development shows that "compact" building is a means of solving many problems that arise in a dynamically developing urbanized territory. However, Russian practice shows that spot or compaction construction, as one of the means of implementing compactness, usually leads to a deterioration in the quality of the urban environment.
European Par Excellence. Several Remarks on Interpreting Soviet Urbanization in Siberia
KnE Social Sciences, 2018
The paper explores the Soviet urbanization as a European trend, developing between the extreme poles of uncompromising rationalism and the human element. At all these levels-a reasonable theory, its clash with reality and the inevitable utopia trap-the characteristics of a modernity project and its relation to tradition and cultural and social changes are revealed. One of the major issues discussed in the article is the attitude of the Soviet urban project to the past (tradition) and to the future (its ideological drive). Its history is characterized by sharp turning points: abrupt shifts leaving no room for compromise, reasonably planned and imposed from above. While not avoiding questions concerning local specifics, colonialism and the possibility to identify different "modernities", it is suggested to analyze the Soviet city as a part of the European project, from the cultural (modernity), aesthetic (modernism) and economic (modernization) perspectives.
Quality of Urban Space in The Eurasian Context
2021
The article’s aim is to assess the factors determining the quality of urban spaces as districts, quarters, neighborhoods. Methodologically the paper juxtaposes the analysis of selected scientific literature, with that of the transformations of the city of Almaty (Kazakhstan) from the mid 20th century. The case study has been selected for its significance within the Eurasian context, the relevance of the transformations that, in the last century, molded the city’s present, and its inner differentiation, single districts having showed quite different development path, deeply contributing in determining actual quality of life of their inhabitants. After having discussed selected scientific literature on the topic, the paper analyses the different districts of the city, verifying, through empirical reconstruction of their origins and transformations, how, in the course of history, they assumed diverse, and sometimes diverging characters directly influencing the quality of their urban sp...