The situation of the project area can be perceived in two ways; firstly, strategically, in the periphery of the center 'St. Petersburg' and secondly, with huge potential, as a center for the periphery 'Leningrad'. The potential of this strategic location was the basis for approach both the analysis and strategies presented. The analysis of problems and potentials in the area is categorised under four titles; ecology, barriers & access, identity, unused spaces.
Ecology: The river Ohkta and its tributary the Okkervil' as recognised as valuable assets of the territory. However the water of the rivers is quite polluted, along with the soils of the industrial land. The operating industries in the area further reduce the air quality.
Barriers and Access: Different borders enclose the area like barriers; the Neva river between the area and the city center; The ring rail line to the south and west, coupled with the industrial areas. The river Ohkta may be percieved as a barrier to the north, along with the industrial areas surrounding it. To deal with these barriers the existing accesses are mapped as key points.
Identity deals with the questions posed by the situation of the site its self. Should it become an extension of the historic center? or an new centre - consolidating its icons.
Unused spaces include both out of use industrial spaces, open green unlandscaped spaces and backland areas. These are spaces for action in dealing with the issues discussed and creating a distinct urban condition for this Peri-Centre site.
Zooming out to the city scale we can recognise similar conditions in many areas. Here we see that these areas have a potential for the city as a whole as they are all linked by this ring rail line. This creates a necklace of peri-center sites which may be developed with similar cities - and together act as a larger system within the city.The project area is then a case-study of how these peri-centres can be developed with taking both the conditions at city-scale and the unique issues of this specific location into account.
There are three starting strategies put forward; consolidation of the areas, linking the existing icons and recongising the river as a important element of the area; hard and soft routes, where heavy infrastructure and busy urban streets are seen as hard, and rivers, green corridors and pedestrian routes are seen as soft; riverbank-backlands balance, this is an economic partnership where the development along the rivers edge can support ecological and social projects in the backlands.
For the first presentation please click here:
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