September 11-13, 2009 FOC (Financial and Organizational Consulting) took part in the 1st International Summer School for Urban Developers entitled “The discipline of “Urban development”: a systematic approach. Taking into account the importance of the issues of territory and urban planning, the School is a timely initiative in establishing a professional education in these areas. The School has also broadened the possibilities of communication between urban development companies and institutions, and the regional consumers of their services. According to Natalia Filimonova, Director of the FOC’s Territory Planning Department, the School has presented an opportunity to obtain up-to-date information on governmental initiatives in the field of urban development policy, as well as to hear opinions of experts from leading urban planning companies on several pressing issues. Most importantly, it was a chance to hear the dialog between those who develop the urban planning documentation and those who use it. Development process of the urban planning documentation has long been out of lines defined by the Urban Planning Code of Russian Federation. These days government officials expect developers to produce a territory management model, which contains not only projected objects placement recommendations, but also a detailed list of actions to increase investment attractiveness of the area, to stabilize the demographic conditions, optimize the administrative division system, and so on. Considering the strategic role of the urban planning documents, one can justify this approach. However, limited funding doesn’t always allow to exploit all resources in order to achieve a particular goal. Tatiana Badmaeva, the head of the architectural planning department of FOC, expressed an opinion, that scientific methodical approach, based on the social factor, is a promising direction. The approach includes work with the public and involvement of its most active part in the process of urban documentation development. The approach has been discussed during the School, and, according to Tatiana, there already are successful pilot projects in Russia. As a part of the School program, a project was demonstrated which uses laser scanning technique to develop urban planning solutions, as well as to regulate the height and density of buildings while restoring the historic part of town. So far this method proved feasible for rather small territories, but its further improvement is underway.
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