We are publishing an article by the authors of the "VIVA-Lefortovo" project, students of the NLTR program, who, being carried away by the topic, united after their studies into the "Team 123" group and continued their work. The essence of the project is a proposal for the integrated development of a part of the Lefortovo district, which today is overloaded with idle industrial zones and is characterized by a low quality of the urban environment. In this article, the group members discuss the possibility of creating a pedestrian boulevard between the Hammer and Sickle, which Don-Stroy plans to turn into the Symbol residential complex, the CROC office center and the Yauza embankment by 2025–2026. Such a boulevard would allow walking from the Entuziastov highway through the former Hammer and Sickle to the reconstructed Kristall plant, the Stroganovs' Yauz estate, and further along the Customs Bridge to the other side of the river to Nizhnyaya Syromyatnicheskaya Street and Artplay. Meanwhile, Don-Stroy presented to the public hearings held in April 2015 an adjusted project that differs from the winning one, where there is no pedestrian axis in place of the railway line and the inner boulevard ends inside the Symbol residential complex, without leaving the city.
As a reminder, the first place in the ranking of the jury for the concept of reconstruction of Hammer and Sickle was taken by the MVRDV project, but then, by the decision of the developer, the LDA design project was declared the winner.
Below is an article by the authors of the research project. ***
As part of the educational program "New Leaders of Territorial Development", NLTR (the program was organized by MARSH and RANEPA), we studied the urban area, part of the Lefortovo district. The alumni who are most not indifferent to the fate of the region have organized themselves into the Team 123 group, which continues to work on the VIVA-Lefortovo project. We have identified several sites, the transformation of which could make a significant contribution to the development of the district's infrastructure and increase the comfort of living for existing and future residents, some of these proposals have tangible benefits for the city.
Using the example of our work, we would like to show a number of urban issues, to pay attention to issues that often fall out of sight when developing projects in similar territories:
- Why does the connectivity of territories at the local level fall out of the designer's field of vision?
- How can the former industrial zones fit organically into the existing urban context?
- Why is the overall quality of the urban environment at a low level?
- as the city's economy, incl. the volume of the taxable base is interconnected with the urban context?
In our article, we will not dive into the theoretical aspects of the problem, but we will try to show with a specific example what mechanisms and what logic of development participants shape our city not always in the best way.
We will consider a section of the city between the Yauza River, Entuziastov Highway, Krasnokazarmennaya Street. It is this section that we designate as the VIVA-Lefortovo territory, for this section we propose the main transformations.
This site is notable for the fact that it is overloaded with former industrial zones that no longer function as production, the quality of the environment and surroundings is at a low level, there are many empty abandoned sites. At the same time, the territory has a significant resource for a qualitatively new development: the presence of significant historical sites in good condition, the proximity of the river and a large array of green areas, proximity to the center and transport hubs. The interest of business and developers in the development of the site is noteworthy: four major players have voiced their interest in the objects on the site.
Echoes of future changes can already be observed: the Kristall plant is being transformed into an art cluster, the territory of the Hammer and Sickle plant is preparing for housing development, Morton Group of Companies has begun selling apartments in a residential complex on the site of the former Almaz-Antey plant.
Let us take a closer look at the project of the “Symbol” residential quarter, proposed for implementation by the Don-Stroy company on the territory of the former Serp and Molot plant, as dominant and, in the future, significantly influencing the development of the territory. Discussions on this project began in 2012, and as a result, the city offered the developer to hold an international competition for the development of an architectural and urban planning concept for the development of the plant's territory. The goal of the competition is “the selection of architectural and urban planning concepts for creating a multifunctional urban unit with a developed infrastructure, integrated into the urban fabric and meeting the requirements of sustainable development of the environment”.
As a result of the competition, five projects were presented, the schemes for them are given below. Four of these projects maintain a pedestrian route along the former railroad tracks. This is an obvious solution because it provides communication between microdistricts, gives direct access to the Yauza River for future residents, as well as direct access to the cultural sites of the area: the Stroganov estate, the Crystal art cluster, the Syromyatnichesky hydroelectric complex with an adjacent park, the Artplay territory.
In each of the projects, the railroad tracks are saved as a pedestrian axis.
On the project proposed for approval, a decision is made to remove this connection on the building territory, and to build residential quarters in place of the tracks. This solution excludes the possibility of using the existing prerequisites for the development of the area, and rather works to isolate itself from the prevailing urban context.
It can be assumed that such a decision by the developer is due to the fact that the surrounding
the territory does not correspond to the desired level of future development - business class. Any developer is primarily interested in making a profit, and is not at all obliged to ennoble the vast territory adjacent to his site.
Team 123's proposal is to preserve the existing track, create a single pedestrian connection, "Tiny Boulevard", which will take place on the site of the former
railway tracks. The new boulevard will merge several quarters of the district at once and provide direct access to the embankment. ***
However, the city would benefit from precisely those projects that organically fit into the urban context. If a project is implemented that excludes such ties, Moscow risks getting even more fragmented quarters, a significant weakening of synergetic ties. In this project, pedestrian access to the centers of attraction of the area (embankment, Kristallu, Artplay, etc.) is difficult. The chosen development scheme stimulates car traffic, exacerbating traffic tensions within the area.
Separately, we would like to discuss the economic component of such decisions for the city. Using the example of this territory, we decided to consider options for the development of the district's economy when implementing two scenarios: while maintaining the current situation and when organizing a new pedestrian boulevard in place of the railway tracks.
We analyzed the section of the road from the street. Zolotorozhsky shaft to the Kristall plant. This site is now abandoned, used mainly by marginal residents, since it is hardly noticeable for patrols. At the same time, pedestrians are forced to use this section of the railway line as a crossing between Volochaevskaya and Zolotorozhsky Val streets. There are very few connections between the main streets of the district, and people use even such an unsuitable path at the present time. The sections along the tracks look abandoned and underutilized. The exception is the territory of the CROC company, which adjoins the tracks, but the company fenced itself off from the tracks as much as possible with a high fence with barbed wire.
If we analyze the tax base collected from the adjacent areas, it is approximately 50-70 million rubles. per year (the calculation was based on land tax and property tax). The overwhelming part of this amount falls on the office center of the CROC company. The rest of the adjoining territories practically do not bring money to the city, because are, by designation, an industrial area, i.e. their cadastral value is 4.5 times lower than the value of land with a purpose, for example, for trade.
In addition, buildings in adjoining territories are not included in the list of objects for which property tax is calculated. From this analysis, we conclude: if a city can skillfully stimulate the transfer of land to socially significant functions, especially in territories prone to such changes, it
can significantly increase income from these lands.
The area along the railway tracks has a high potential for such
reconstruction. At the same time, the potential will increase significantly if we provide
direct connection with the future residential area. In this case, the projected collection of taxes from adjacent areas may grow to 160-200 million rubles, which is 3-4 times higher than the current situation.
Thus, in addition to the direct economic effect, the city would get rid of one of the unsightly places in the district, transforming it into a center of attraction, a pedestrian boulevard, a connection with the river, a green embankment, access to the Crystal and Artplay art centers. We would suggest calling the new boulevard "Tiny Boulevard", recalling by this name that the KROK office and the bakery are adjacent to the railway tracks.
The developer, if this proposal were implemented, would also receive significant benefits: the new boulevard works to level the environment, making it more attractive and safer for future residents. A well-maintained boulevard, giving access to the river and objects of creative activity, is a more significant demonstration of the well-being of the surrounding area than photo collages in advertising brochures. In addition, we are confident that such decisions affect the cost of the apartments themselves in the residential complexes under construction.
As part of our project, in order to promote the proposed solutions, we actively contact the authorities and land users of the plots for which we propose changes. The implementation of such solutions is impossible without establishing interaction between the specified participants. According to our assumption, many pain points in the city could be solved through the implementation of projects focused on the resources and potential of the city, the already established urban context, and the formation of synergistic ties.
Using the example of the VIVA-Lefortovo project, we would like to propose and implement a new approach to solving urban problems, with a focus on maximizing the potential of a territory formed naturally, with a fundamental focus on the connectedness of territories. ***
Successful analogs in the world for the transformation of railway tracks:
High Line Park, New York
The former Railway Line was transformed into a park, which became a new point
attraction of the city. Thanks to this transformation, it turned out to revive the depressive
the territory of the city from which industrial production was withdrawn. City smog
attract investors, businesses, new residents to the surrounding areas.
The estimated inflow of additional investments in the area was estimated at $ 4 billion, the actual increase in property tax collection per year increased by $ 100 million, which has already recouped the costs of creating the park. More>
Good's Line, Sydney
The project of converting abandoned territory and railway tracks into a pedestrian path. The path has become a point of attraction for townspeople, tourists, students of nearby universities. The implementation of the project became possible after the establishment of partnerships between the six owners of the adjacent land, the authorities and public organizations. The facility was commissioned less than a year ago, but has already stimulated the development of business in the adjacent territories, and also significantly influenced the demand and cost of housing around. Details 1, and 2.
Team 123 worked on the article:
Marina Reingold - Project Manager.
Experience in the field of business development, development of partner networks, launching new business areas.
Anna Kasatkina is a project analyst.
Experience in real estate consulting, business valuation.
Ulyana Pyankova is a sociologist of the project.
Experience in the field of sociological research, conducting election campaigns.
Oleg Raspopov is the project architect.
Experience in architecture and design. Curator of the competition for the development of the concept of the park "Patriot", curator of the school "Fundamentals of the Architectural Future"
Visualization:
Oleg Raspopov, Adil Azhiev, developer publications.
