I. Metshin: “Any urban planning decision is made on the basis of the opinion of experts from dozens of related areas”

(KZN.RU, April 15, Alena Miroshnichenko). The Institute of the General Plan of Moscow finalized the draft General Plan of Kazan. The process of coordinating the document with federal and republican structures and departments begins at present. Irina Dyabilkina, the head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, announced this today at the Business Monday.

Irina Dyabilkina reported that today documents are being formed in the city that will determine the urban-planning policy until 2035. These include the General Plan of the city, land use and development rules, local standards for urban planning.

Irina Dyabilkina spoke about the General Plan of Kazan agreed at the Moscow Institute.  She noted that due to the change in legislation and the elimination of Rosleskhoz’s comments, the Office, together with the Committee for Land and Property Relations, changed Kazan’s boundaries and identified the forest fund areas included in the city’s boundaries. On March 28, the draft General Plan was placed in the Federal Geographic Information System of Territorial Planning and resubmitted for approval to the federal and republican bodies. “We are waiting for agreement of about 17 federal structures, 7 republican ministries, as well as 5 administrative regions adjacent to Kazan. We have to go through a big and complicated way of agreeing to this document, which takes 3 months. In the case of comments, the question will be submitted to the conciliation commission. This will extend the period for its consideration by another 3 months”, reported I. Dyabilkina.

It is planned that the General Plan of Kazan will be accepted by the end of 2019. It will be approved by the decision of the Kazan City Duma. The development of new smelting of land use and development will follow after that. As the speaker marked, this urban planning document of a more detailed study will determine the permitted uses and design limits for each zone. It must be adopted no later than 6 months after the approval of the General Plan. The greatest difficulty lies in the fact that all city-planning zones should be put on cadastral registration.

“I especially want to note that the primary task of the city authorities is to harmonize the action of the three main city-planning documents: the General Plan, Land Use and Development Rules and Local Standards of Urban-Planning Design. We hope that the problems that we have now will be solved. There will be much fewer questions about introducing changes to the map of city planning regulations submitted to the session”, said the head of the department.

In early 2018, due to changes in legislation and improvement of legal regulations, amendments were made to the existing land use and development rules of Kazan. And at the end of last year, Kazan City Duma approved a new edition of local standards for urban planning.

“Urban planning activity of any city is the most important branch of planning for a large city. Any decision is made after the experts of not only one branch, but dozens of adjacent directions give their opinion. Only then the right decision is made, which predetermines the development of the city for decades to come”, said Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan. He added that not always these decisions are perceived with enthusiasm.

Thus, last week, residents of Derbyshki were worried about the inclusion of a new road in the General Plan. “There is no reason for worrying. The road, which is planned to be built, was provided by the 1969 General Plan. Any decision that is laid in the General Plan is associated with many factors, including the economic situation and the possibilities of the city, republican and federal budgets. At the same time, the most optimal option with the least demolition of houses is chosen. This road will be built only in 10-15 years”, explained I. Metshin.