Press Release
Session "Moscow’s Spatial Strategy: Principles and Opportunities"
Does Moscow need a Strategic Master Plan?
Is it possible to program the future of the city and stimulate its development through spatial planning?
Members of the panel session of the Fourth Moscow Urban Forum "Moscow's Spatial Strategy: Principles and
Opportunities" discussed Russian and international experience in the development and implementation of spatial strategies in different megacities of the world, including Singapore, Copenhagen, London, Tokyo,
Shanghai, Toronto, and others. What are the modern approaches to developing and implementing spatial strategies? Which strategy is to be chosen by Moscow? To answer these and other relevant questions clearly, a group of researchers from KB Strelka presented to the Forum the results of their study "Strategic Master
Plan. A Tool for Managing the Future".
Engaging Citizens in Urban Planning
The experts reached a definite conclusion: a rigid master plan for development of the cities, which is prepared and approved exclusively by the administration, is no longer enough. In a modern environment, this is replaced by more flexible strategic concepts that take into account the changing market conditions. When presenting the study, Alexey Muratov, a Partner of KB Strelka and Project Manager, emphasised that these principles have formed the basis of recommendations for the new spatial development strategy of Moscow.
Alexey Muratov believes that a Master Plan can become a tool for coordination, forecasting, engagement, marketing, and policy. For example, the Finger Plan for Copenhagen adopted in 1947 was a forecasting tool.
Incidentally, the city still lives in accordance with its principles. The expert also mentioned that the recent development plan of Melbourne has proven very effective for engaging residents in the affairs of the city, with a quarter of its population (about 1 million people) participating in its creation.
The members of the panel are convinced that Moscow, which currently performs its construction works under the General Plan of Development, also needs a master plan. What is the difference? Alexey Muratov believes that the program for urban development must include both these elements. This scenario has already been adopted by a number of Russian cities, such as Perm. The development strategy of Perm is seamlessly integrated with its general development plan. The example of major European cities testifies that the master plan should be developed under the direct supervision of the mayor, who eventually becomes the "face" of this document.
Speaking about particular aspects of the paperwork in such type of local self-government, Oleg
Bryukhanovsky, the legal adviser for the study, stressed the importance of formulating a common vision for the spatial strategy so that it reflects the interests of all stakeholders, including government, business and residents. In addition, the procedure for approving/coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the document should be widely discussed and should remain as transparent as possible.
Moscow Plans to Become the Best Megacity in the World
Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Policy and Construction, indicated that the Russian capital is developing as an agglomeration. In a single day, Moscow ensures the transportation of 10 million passengers and, in the coming years, this figure is expected to double. Considerable attention will be paid to the railway system. According to Marat Khusnullin, when developing the city plans, the city government relies primarily on solving the problems of transport infrastructure and aims at ensuring polycentrism. In the near future, the centers of urban life will be shifted to the city outskirts. At the same time, there will be no additional construction development in the city centre. The deputy mayor believes that Moscow, which now ranks

second among the world's megacities (after Beijing) in terms of its development pace, has every chance of becoming the number one in this ranking.
The practical implementation of the spatial planning system in Europe was presented by Maurice Leroy,
Minister of City Affairs in charge of the Greater Paris Project. He said that Greater Moscow has advanced further than Greater Paris, although the project was started later. "Greater Paris and Greater Moscow emphasize the synergy of all city functions and take into account the reality while, at the same time, not ignoring an artistic approach. The human being is always at the heart of such projects", said Mr. Leroy.
It is essential not only to elaborate a clear master plan, but also to dream, and then implement the "utopias" into reality. "The problem of financing exists everywhere, but if we want to develop our cities, we have no other choice", said the Minister.
The participants in the discussion agreed that implementing the idea of strategic spatial planning could provide financial benefits to government, private business and residents alike.
About the Moscow Urban Forum
Moscow Urban Forum has been held annually since 2011. It is an international conference dedicated to city development, architecture, economics and strategic planning of the cities.
The Forum is held under the auspices of the Moscow Government, with the participation of Sergey Sobyanin, the Mayor of Moscow. The Urban Land Institute is the International Partner of the Forum. The Programme
Directorate of the Forum is represented by Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design.
Moscow Urban Forum is a platform for sharing experiences, where leaders of the largest cities in Russia and the world have an opportunity to discuss pressing issues and projects with representatives of the international expert community.
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