Moscow Urban Forum Launches New All-Russia Project
A series of specialized conferences titled “Cities and territories of tomorrow: the toolkit for positive
transformations” will be held in cities across Russia by the expert community of the Moscow Urban Forum
The Moscow Urban Forum was initially launched three years ago to spark the development of comfortable
urban environments and raise living standards in Russian cities. As part of this mission, the Forum’s
Directorate is launching a new project titled “Cities and territories of tomorrow: the toolkit for positive
transformations”, a series of specialized urban conferences with a focus on Russia’s regions. The
conferences will be held in Russia’s largest cities from May to September 2014.
Each conference will feature its own program designed to meet the unique characteristics of particular cities,
including plenary sessions and round tables for government officials and businessmen, as well as public
lectures on the most challenging urban trends. The best city projects and cases selected by the experts in
each city will be presented within the framework of the dedicated regional section at the Moscow Urban
Forum 2014. Such conferences will be held annually.
The project, developed by the Forum’s Board of Directors in collaboration with experts from CB “Strelka”,
Skolkovo Moscow School of Management and the Guild of Managers and Developers, seeks to examine the
key problems of Russian cities, and may become an incentive to improving the quality of the urban
environment and residents’ living standards.
The project is supported by the Bank of Moscow, a well-known associate of many urban projects.
“Traditionally, the program of the Moscow Urban Forum includes the global and Moscow agendas. In
2014, for the first time in the Forum’s history, part of the program will be devoted to regional projects.
We see both great interest and increasing urban development activity in the cities – several
outstanding projects are now being implemented. Conferences will help us to form an idea of the
challenges and queries of Russian cities, as well as gather data for the annual Forum research. Upon
completion of the conference series, we will present the best practices of Russian cities at the IV
Moscow Urban Forum”, says General Director of the Moscow Urban Forum Olga Papadina.
Featured in the conferences’ business programs will be such topics as masterplanning, the criteria of living
standards and quality of urban environment, transportation, interaction between government and residents,
and regional economies. All these topics require active involvement of all stakeholders in the city, including its
residents, business and government representatives.
“Modernizing and developing municipal services are among the chief areas of work for Bank of
Moscow. We specialize in work with municipal projects across the country, and issues of supporting
the development of Russian megacities are very relevant for us. We welcome any forms of
constructive dialogue between representatives of government and business. Infrastructure projects in
Russia need new impetuses, issues facing Russia’s cities need thorough studying, while the
comprehensive involvement in this process of the expert community will ultimately help raise the
overall quality and comfort of life for ordinary residents”, said Mikhail Kuzovlev, President-Chairman
of the Board at Bank of Moscow.
In addition to the business part, one-day conference programs include open lectures by Russian and foreign
experts on current urban issues. Leading world experts will present global trends in urban development, while
the experts of Moscow Urban Forum will discuss Moscow’s experience.
“The regional program of Moscow Urban Forum represents, I think, a very interesting initiative.
Previously, the Forum focused its attention on the capital and today’s agenda of global cities. Moving
to the regions is an opportunity, drawing upon world experience, to analyze the challenges facing
Russian cities, and then to propose prescriptions for solving these cities’ issues”, noted Alexei
Muratov, Regional Program Curator at Moscow Urban Forum, Partner at CB “Strelka”.
The final event of each conference will see leading Russian and foreign urbanists holding public lectures on
the latest urban trends and issues.
The first conference will be held in Ufa in May, followed in June by conferences in Yekaterinburg, Nizhniy
Novgorod and Rostov-on-Don, and St. Petersburg in September.
About Moscow Urban Forum:
The Moscow Urban Forum has established itself as an important international event for discussions between some of
world’s most acknowledged experts in city planning and urban development. Discussed are the opportunities and
challenges that are vital for modern megacities and the growth perspectives of global cities not only in the context of
economy and efficient management, but through the eyes of an individual citizen as well.
The Moscow Urban Forum provides a centre point for annual meetings and productive discussions as well as exchange of
experience between specialists who care about the future of global cities. This is an international event for experts,
investors and potential partners interested in the development of the Russian capital and the implementation of projects in
cooperation with the Moscow City Government.
The development path that Moscow has followed over the last several years is unique. Russia’s largest megacity is acting
as a platform where a range of current ideas on urban planning are being tested and then implemented in other regions of
the country. The Moscow Urban Forum is a place for an exchange of positive experience where the heads of Russia’s
largest cities – from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok – have an opportunity to communicate with the heads of global capitals and
discuss current issues with recognized international experts.
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Victoria Afonina
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