Team of urbanists design new Moscow district
Urban Design Associates (UDA) of Pittsburgh with Beasley and Associates of Vancouver led an international team of planners to the top prize for a new Moscow Federal District design, while Antoine Grumbach from Paris received the top prize for the regional plan and overall city expansion. Nine teams were selected from a worldwide competition to develop design and planning strategies for a projected expansion of Moscow that moves the federal government out of the historic core.
Overcrowding and extreme traffic congestion is the impetus of the proposal. Moscow’s current population of around 13 million is growing at a rate of 150,000 people per year. Previous government policies to create large housing sectors in progressive belts outside the historic center coupled with middle class flight has contributed to sprawl.
Since Moscow is a radial city with jobs concentrated in the core, rush hour traffic brings the limited highway and road infrastructure to a standstill for hours each day. The rapid growth of car ownership contributes to the congestion.
The ecology of the region is in decline as suburban sprawl displaces woodlands and meadows and negatively impacts water resources.
To address these problems, the city recently annexed a large territory to the southwest with plans to move government offices. The federal government and the City sponsored the competition.
The competition was structured around six workshops in Moscow over the past year. The result was a unique collaboration of planning experts and government officials around a dual strategy: Revitalize Old Moscow while building New Moscow.
The plan calls for investments in the historic core that preserve the quality of its landmark districts and restore the humane scale of streets and parks. Proposed initiatives include: Redevelopment of under-performing and vacant industrial sites located along the Moscow River; Adaptive reuse of buildings for additional housing, hospitality, business, and cultural uses; and Improvements to the local network of streets.
UDA proposed the development of a central rail and transit station adjacent to the Kremlin linking the existing rail stations within the core as well as create direct links to the city’s airports, the new Federal District, and the expansion areas to the southwest. This system includes high-speed train connections to destinations within the metro area as well as major cities outside the region.
Zero carbon Federal District
At the macro scale, Moscow is a city in the forest with connections to the boreal forest that stretches around the globe. Regionally, however, uncontrolled sprawl has damaged environmental systems and created an unhealthy urban context.
UDA proposed a series of green infrastructure systems for New Moscow that will serve as the framework for new development. The foundation is a clearly defined layer of managed forest habitat that is contiguous across the region. This expanded forest layer will be used as a source to mitigate air pollution, provide water resource protection and offset the carbon waste. This system will contain the advanced energy generation and waste management systems required to support the expanding urban districts in the southwest. Adjacent to this network will be reserved agricultural land for food production and a connected system of parks and open space amenities. The new built environment emphasizes connectivity and walkability, and a blend of uses and densities. This approach will help New Moscow achieve a zero carbon energy target that is rapidly becoming the norm in many parts of the world.
The economic platform centers on powerful synergies that are created by combining government, business, and education. The plan proposes three adjacent precincts in the new Federal Center: the Federal District for federal and city offices, the Financial District, and the University District. All three mixed-use districts will have multiple modes of transit and would be located within easy walking distance to one another.
