“It is important that the reorganized territories do not lose their individuality.” Interview with Sergei Georgievskii
Sergei Georgievskii, co-founder of CENTER Group of Companies, talks about the development of Moscow’s industrial territories and the international experience in the modernization of industrial areas.
- How will the Industrial Quarters project change the face of the city? What will it give to the developers and residents?
Territories of industrial zones that have lost their purpose are the last territorial reserve for the multifunctional development of the city. Therefore, redevelopers have to take care of the needs of the city as much as possible. I mean investors, residents and government agencies. If we apply the integrated territorial development, the functional content of the reorganized territories can be optimized. We should not be building only residential structures. Developers must provide social facilities, workplaces and public spaces.
This contributes to a modern comfortable urban environment, both due to the multifunctionality of the development area and the possibility to use up-to-date formats of housing, infrastructure, public spaces and workplaces.
- Please tell us which examples of the use of industrial zones abroad seem most successful to you.
Many countries, including Great Britain, Canada, the USA and China, have adopted comprehensive strategies for the reorganization of former industrial zones. Capital cities offer tactical solutions in response to new challenges. London gains interesting experience in implementing the Good Growth approach focused on sustainable urban development and the optimal use of the territory. Paris has ambitious start-ups in reorganized territories and international positioning. Beijing develops creative industries, arranges popular art zones, puts emphasis on the climate agenda and supports projects that drive environmental innovation. Seoul creates a new type of public space, integrates wildlife into the urban environment, conserves biodiversity and uses the competitive advantages of the peripheral neighborhoods.
London positions its development in innovation and research, posturing itself as an international incubator and learning center. King’s Cross and Charlton Riverside redevelopments are examples of the simultaneous creation of internationally recognized unique urban centers and modern urban neighborhoods with affordable housing.
Between 2002 and 2012, the New York Department of City Planning and the City Council consented to the rezoning of industrial zones to accommodate local differences and attract investors. Hudson Yards and Domino Sugar Refinery redevelopments mean effective urban transformation megaprojects with an author’s approach.
Les Groues, this Paris Manhattan in the vicinity of La Défense, and the industrial Macdonald Warehouse redevelopments set the pace for the creation of new attractors in the periphery and the architectural integration of historical buildings without changes to their exterior.
The redevelopment of Beijing’s Shougang Industrial District, a pilot project under the Climate Positive Development Program on the site of the large Shougang steel plant built in 1919, is an example of reusing infrastructure and making up for the district’s shortfalls.
More: https://cre.ru/interview/85321 (in Russian)