I. Metshin about the Master Plan: “We will solve all the questions in the interests of the majority”

(KZN.RU, June 20, Alena Miroshnichenko). During the XXXIV session of the Kazan City Duma, Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of the capital of Tatarstan, stated that only the draft Master Plan of Kazan considered optimal by most citizens would be adopted. The solution of all disputed issues in the city is made in a dialog; public hearings are held on each of them.

According to Anastasia Latypova, the deputy head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, the draft Master Plan of the city until 2035 was worked out, taking into account the wishes of residents. It was placed in the Federal Geographic Information System of Territorial Planning in March 2019. However, public discussion of some issues continued after this. In this regard, a re-discussion of the Master Plan with Kazan residents is planned for July 2019. The final version of the draft document will be placed in the Federal Geographic Information System again for approval by federal and republican authorities. By the end of the year, the draft Master Plan will be presented to the deputies of Kazan City Duma.

A. Latypova drew the attention of the deputies of Kazan City Duma to the situation in Derbyshki. “At the public hearings in 2018, a transport model was presented. Two roads were planned along Lipatov Street near the railway and the road along Poperechnaya Street near the edge of the forest and Nagorny. These roads should have partially removed a huge traffic load from Mir Street”, she explained.

“We have repeatedly met with residents and explained the options of roads. We plan to discuss this with the residents of the city, to hear the views of all. These roads are needed, otherwise the current situation with traffic jams will get worse”, marked A. Latypova. She added that the Master Plan developers continue to look for possible solutions to the problem.

Residents of the residential area “Starie Gorki” expressed their concern about the plans to build children's institutions on the territory of private land. A. Latypova explained that they don’t have to worry. “The Master Plan reveals the need for social facilities. The document reflects this in the form of icons that are not tied to a place and are not connected with depriving the right holder of a piece of land on a territory”, said the speaker. That is, the icon in the graphic materials of the general plan only captures the need of this territory for social institutions and their number, but does not indicate the specific location on the territory.

A broad resonance was caused by the doubler road of the Gorkovskoe Highway through the Serebryanny Bor Settlement under construction with further access to the M7. A. Latypova noted that the Gorkovskoe Highway is already unable to cope with the traffic load. Thus, the developers of the Master Plan were faced with the task of finding a solution to this problem.

“Today, the draft Master Plan of Kazan is being actively discussed. We are doing this in a dialog with the residents. According to the regulations, the discussion takes place once. But we have already met with the population three times and continue to look for solutions that will satisfy the Kazan citizens as much as possible”, said Ilsur Metshin.

The Mayor of Kazan marked that the planning issue is quite complicated. But Kazan is developing at a rapid pace, the birth rate, the number of new housing, kindergartens, schools are growing every year. As a result, motorization is also increasing at an increased rate. “Doing nothing is a collapse. The maximum number of options is now being considered, and we will decide all the issues in the interests of the majority”, said the Mayor. He noted that Kazan would be able to approach the implementation of many of the Master Plan projects only in decades.

“Why are we designing it now? The need is dictated by federal legislation and our concern for the future of the city where we have to live, build and work”, summed up the Mayor. He urged deputies to take an active part in public hearings and make suggestions.