A round table discussion "Embankments without borders — how Moscow has been developing waterfront areas for 10 years" was held
Sergei Georgievskii, co-founder of the Agency for Strategic Development CENTER, took part in the round table discussion "Embankments without borders — how Moscow has been developing waterfront areas for 10 years", which was held on April 11 at the Moscow Imperial Yacht Club.
This year marks 10 years since the city started to implement a large-scale development project dedicated to the Moscow River waterfront. During this time, more than 80 kilometers of embankments were put in good shape. In the coming years, another 64 kilometers of new embankments and 40 public centers will become available in Moscow.
The event was also attended by:
• Sergey Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow;
• Aleksey Mityaev, deputy head of the Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development of the city of Moscow;
• Dmitry Starostin, Managing Partner of Aeon Development;
• Ilya Cheprasov, Head of FORMA Urban Neighborhoods Developer;
• Kirill Ignakhin, CEO of Level Group;
• Mikhail Khvesko, Director for Implementation of Large-Scale Projects, Member of the Board of Capital Group.
During the event, the speakers discussed the principles that are applied in creation of a waterfront locations master plan and make it possible to turn waterfront areas into new business, social and cultural centers, global practices of industrial zones redevelopment and embankments improvement, special aspects of waterfronts development, and creation of water infrastructure.
Sergey Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow, noted: "Now many developers are confident that investments in infrastructure not only increase the cost of listings, but also contribute to the urban environment, being a social capital of sorts. It is up to us, what kind of Moscow we will pass on to our descendants and we want them to appreciate our achievements."
Sergei Georgievskii spoke about trends in development of waterfront areas in Moscow and the whole world.
"For a long time, most part of the Moscow River’s waterfront, almost 200 kilometers, was either not landscaped or inaccessible to residents. During these years, the city authorities put 36 embankments in good shape. Thus, the waterfront areas acquired a new, ceremonial function: the embankments in the capital became walking areas, the river was included in urban life, and the view over the water turned into a serious "selling" argument. The capital uses and often sets the world’s best practices in redevelopment of waterfront areas, such as connectivity and variety of scenarios. For example, a more than 16 km solid pedestrian area was created in the Moscow 850th Anniversary Park with bike paths forming a single route. There is a new visual perception, for instance, "urban balconies" on the Raushskaya Embankment with a unique clean design, which allow you to look at the embankment from a new angle," said Sergei Georgievskii.
Photo: Press Office of the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning
Photo: Press Office of the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning