Environmentalists: "Kazan needs green frame"

(KZN.RU, October 30, by Alisa Rozanova) The greening of Kazan within the framework of the "Green Record" long-term project was the main topic of a meeting between Mayor Ilsur Metshin and environmentalists.

The head of the city noted that during the past 20 days of  "Green Record", over 20 thousand trees had been planted, compensatory planting requirements significantly tightened and a temporary moratorium on cutting down trees imposed.

"The project will take a few years to complete. If this task is not carried out
systematically, the city will soon turn into a concrete jungle. The amount of greenery in Kazan leaves much to be desired,” pointed out the mayor.

According to Kazan Federal University Professor  Nafisa Mingazova, Sc.D., the greening should result in a single natural and environmentally friendly space, or, as it is sometimes called, a green frame, rather than in a number of disconnected green spaces. The core of the frame is normally a river or a park, with green wedges (parks and gardens) diverging from it. They will merge with a "green belt" encircling the city

Ilsur Metshin called upon the environmentalists to deal with this task in conjunction with scientists and suggest appropriate amendments to the general plan of Kazan's development.

Head of optimization of land ecosystems at the KFU Ecology Institute, Galina Yupina, highlighted the need for a new inventory of green spaces. Ilsur Metshin supported this idea as consistent with the need to ensure clear cut boundaries of existing parks, gardens and recreational areas. This will give them a status of areas protected from further development.