In July, Sochi was
the finalists of the first stage of the international closed competition for the development of the concept of post-Olympic development of the Imeretinskaya lowland of the city of Sochi "Imeretinka 2.0" have been named. We spoke with Mikhail Blinkin, a member of the competition jury, director of the Institute for Transport Economics and Transport Policy of the Higher School of Economics, about his vision of the territory and possible prospects for its development.
Archi.ru:
– When the master plan of the territory for the Olympics was being developed, it was announced that it contained the potential for the development of the territory in the post-Olympic period. I would like to understand what has changed since then, and what is the reason for the need for the competition today?
Mikhail Blinkin:
- The need is due to the fact that in 2015 the PZZ (rules for land use and development) on the territory of the municipality of the resort city of Sochi changed, which introduced a new territorial zone "Particularly valuable territories" and established the value of KIT (coefficient of use of the territory) for each territorial zone. The previous parameters, which were earlier, until 2015, were fine with everyone. Changes in the rules have tightened the regulations, so now it is important to determine the long-term perspective and calculate how seriously these restrictions affect the economics of the project and sales.
In principle, the holding of this competition is an indicator of the realization of those potentials that were laid down at the stage of forming the master plan. The project announced at the international level indicates that the previous period was quite successful, and there is a favorable prospect for the development of the territory: everything that has been built to date is selling well.
– The first, what are you paying attention to here – a yacht port, which, as jury member Peter Bishop noted, looks more like a fortress than a harbor …
– Yes, the marina could be a super useful commercial project for this territory, but it has the status of a seaport with all the ensuing consequences. After all, a seaport is a strategic facility with certain rules, its own laws operate here, and the current situation, when it is fenced off and there is no greenery around it, is caused by these restrictions.
The so-called "spur" - a monumental wall that protects ships during anchorage, was erected for the cargo port and for these purposes it was enough, but for a full-fledged marina, a longer and more aesthetic harbor is needed. Although the port area is included in the competition project, there is not enough architectural solution to the problem, it is broader and affects other competencies.
– You had the opportunity to get to know the competition area in its current state - what, what do you think is missing here?
- Fears that after the Olympics there will be a dead zone, fortunately, did not come true. What already exists here, if we are talking about the residential sector, is well planned, intelligently built and in demand. Everything lives here. And the Olympic facilities are also in demand - competitions are held here. There is a Formula 1 track.
But I miss the shade for a comfortable walking environment. Remembering our own experience - for example, the blocks of five-story buildings in Kuzminki, you understand that everything goes on as usual. When they were built, everything around the houses was bare, and now, 30 years later, these are green courtyards, where it is very pleasant to be. Over time, trees will grow here too.
– How do you see the prospects for the development of the territory in terms of road infrastructure?
- Do not deceive yourself - there will never be a car resort here, there is not enough territory for this. In this case, simple arithmetic comes to the rescue: if we take motorization at the Moscow level, where there are 400 cars per 1000 people, it turns out that I need as much space for parking as for housing. Underground parking is impossible here - soils do not allow, and if you equip flat parking, then instead of greenery under the window there will be a car rookery, which is commercially unprofitable, since it is not aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, I believe that planning a car-free area is optimal here, in line with the general European trend. It is necessary to create a comfortable pedestrian environment with green boulevards so as not to stomp in the heat. There are already widespread use of environmentally friendly modes of transport - segways, scooters, bicycles, and it is necessary to continue to develop alternative modes of transportation.
– Your foreign colleagues – Vicente Guayart and Peter Bishop spoke about the need to improve communication with neighboring areas of Sochi. What do you think about that?
- I think this question is not relevant. Expanding the road in the direction of the central regions is a colossal investment, but the question arises - why should those living here go there. I am sure that over time, this territory will have everything you need for a full life - entertainment, cultural facilities, and infrastructure. It is much more important to equip a convenient pedestrian approach to the railway station, which is currently not available. This is exactly an architectural issue and a normal task for an architect, which should be solved within the framework of a competition.
– Now we are talking mainly about the summer period, but the objectives of the competition are about year-round use of the territory. Is there a prospect for permanent residences here?
- What are the permanent residents to do here? This problem is ubiquitous in many coastal cities, including in Europe. If we do not take into account the seasonal work in hotels, which is traditional for resorts, the emphasis today is on remote work related to IT and media. In our country, this direction is not so developed, but perhaps this is the prospect for this territory in particular.
– What do you think, will the competition be able to change something here? What is your formula for winning the competition?
- The successful urban development of this territory and its development depends on many factors, and the competition is just the beginning of the journey. The main thing that has to happen here is a grandiose coincidence of beautiful architecture and an equally great business idea.
