Location: Svobodny, Russia.
Architect: Strelka KB with Karres en Brands.
The town of Svobodny in Russia has suffered from economic decline since the closure of its core heavy industry enterprises in the 1980s. However, construction of two major gas chemical ventures has begun, which is expected to make up 91% of the town’s economy and bring in 13,000 new residents by 2030. To help Svobodny face these changes, the Svobodny Strategic Master Plan 2030 has been developed, integrating three key dimensions of sustainable urban development: environmental, economic, and social. The plan was developed through participatory urban planning, with direct feedback from people on the city’s current socio-economic needs collected through an online crowdsourcing platform. Expert meetings and strategic sessions were also organized between representatives of the federal and local government, business spheres, and experts from various fields. The plan includes strategies for urban and green area development based on the OECD resilient city concept and UN Habitat principles of sustainable neighbourhood development.
The first strategy involves redeveloping streets for increased safety and public spaces, including reducing speed limits, developing bicycle infrastructure, and putting greenery along streets. The second strategy involves creating a green city, connecting major natural locations with urban territories through green corridors and fine-tuning sanitation and water drainage systems. To fully harness the potential of sustainable and diversified economic development, three types of centers of urban life were created: local, district, and city centres. The plan also adopts the “plot-based urbanism” concept, allowing each plot to develop autonomously in accordance with the regulations of its environment type. To ensure social integration of new residents, all educational institutions of the city will be integrated into a single territorial educational complex. All solutions are specified in the Form-Based Code, which regulates functional planning and spatial development parameters, as well as the design of street frontage and landscaping. The code will help integrate principles of a sustainable and resilient city into the local government agenda and make implementing urban policies cohesive and human-centric.
Photo credit: Strelka KB.