I. Metshin: “We do not build a summer cottage but a whole center of Kazan”

(KZN.RU, June 8). The technical task for the design of the concept of sustainable development of the Kazan historical settlement was presented today in the City Hall by the members of the working group headed by Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of the city. Experts discussed how to make the concept of the center development in order to prevent errors, to mix the conservative and reformist principles of the development of historical territories, and also offered to start with five pilot projects: Yagodnaya Sloboda, Third Mountain, Volga Embankment, Hadi Taktash Street, and the Koltso.

Designing of the concept of development of the historical center was launched on behalf of Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of the RT. Deputy chairmen of the working group were Olesya Baltusova, an assistant to the President of the RT, Tatiana Prokofieva, the chief architect of Kazan, and Radik Shafigullin, the deputy head of the Executive Committee. They are to determine the rules by which the construction and development of the center of Kazan will be done.

Olesya Baltusova noted that the main experts of the city in this area were included in the working group. “We have gathered everyone who works closely in the city center”, she said.

The first discussion of the working group was held yesterday at the site of the Kazan State Architectural University. Experts gathered to discuss a work plan for creating a concept for the development of the historic center.

Svyatoslav Murunov, the head of the Institute of Applied Urban Studies of Moscow, shared his impressions of this work. “I was pleased that this project is a real one. Kazan has a deep level of all specialists, architects, city planners, local historians, city planners, sociologists, but for a long time, there weren’t any projects where all of them worked together as equal terms”, noted the Moscow expert.

According to S. Murunov, experts separately discussed approaches to design: “Unsuccessful projects show closeness, we decided to change the rules of the game at the very beginning. We need maximum openness and communication”.

The structure of the project group was presented by Oleg Maklakov, the head of the OOO “Axiom-Architec”.

According to him, the first task is to clarify the regulations concerning the preservation of historical buildings. “We now have the boundaries of a historic settlement, and we need to approach the development of this territory especially carefully. The rules of development in these territories should be specified and prescribed”, believes the expert.

Speaking about the existing problems, O. Maklakov said about the need to improve the quality of modern architecture by establishing transparent “game rules” and the transition “from a defensive strategy to a creative one”, that is, switching attention from conservation of cultural heritage sites to their development. The expert explained that there are many preserved and restored buildings in Kazan, “but they have no life in them”. He called inaccessibility of landscape objects and inadequate development of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructures in the city center among other problems.

O. Maklakov noted that it is necessary to conduct analytical work before the development of the actual plan. According to him, all this will take 3 months. As a result, a scheme of methods and a scheme of project steps will appear, on the basis of which a number of pilot projects will be developed.

The result of all work should be the principles and instruments of implementation, investment programs in free territories, recommendations for the addition and development of existing regulations and rules.

The Mayor of the city noted the great importance of this work. “It was an old dream to move from the meetings of the city's building commissions in the historical center to the professional work on a permanent basis”, said Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan. “Headed by the President of the RT, we came to the fact that a concept is needed”. He also noted that the working group includes different specialists.

According to him, the discussion of the concept of sustainable development of the historical settlement of the city caused a discussion so it is important to take into account all opinions. “The truth is born in a dispute, but it is necessary that it does not drag on for months. At the same time, we are not building a cottage, but the whole center of Kazan, we must avoid urban mistakes”, said the Mayor and urged to work systematically in the team.

“Let's move together to the result. Unfortunately, we have already made some mistakes that should not be repeated”, summed up I. Meshin and noted the attention of the President of the RT to this issue.