Final Presentation

The final presentation is merging the result of the micro-macro scale proposals for the area, starting from the micro and finishing on the macro scale.

Starting from the microraion/neighborhood scale, the main theme is its conversion from an introvert and socially autonomous unit to a holder of public activity. However autonomy and decentralisation of the energy-water streams is the target in terms of sustainability. Mobility has a dual role. On the one hand, introducing a new tramway, perpendicular to the current radial public transport network, many accessibility issues are solved , especially in the east-west axis. But what is more important is that by placing the tram stops within the blocks, turns them into node-catalysts who will activate public activity within the block.

The Network of the microrayons comes in focus on the second part. The water streams emerging from the first part form a large scale ecological network. Additionally the barrier of the industrial patch that seperates the residential area in focus with the one to the west, next to the port is addressed. Finally access from microraion to microraion is taken into consideration with various access options.

Finally the example of the microrayon can be extracted in the greater St Petersburg scale, regarding the soviet belt, by swifting the urban-private relationships and enhancing a different connectivity and mobility pattern.

Open publication - Free publishing - More st. petersburg

extrovert micro-rayon and the new urban network

A post soviet neighborhood, a complex of micro-rayons, is in focus during the first part of the analysis. Located within the south part of the soviet housing belt, this neighborhood is characterized by a series of paradoxes. The most obvious is the contradiction between the green environment of the blocks with the building stock. The vast amount of open green spaces, the layout of which is embracing the housing blocks creating a network of very interesting public spaces. However the blocks themselves are characterized by their distinctively poor condition (deteriorated prefabricated panels,extremely small apartments, no insulation). The neighborhood, quiet and green, but also extremely neglected, seems its not actually positioned within the city.

However within this area many important icons of the city are located. For example the new city centre-as it was envisioned by the Soviets-is located on the axis of Moskovskiy Prospekt which connects the two centres cutting through the industrial belt. The wider area is surrounded by vast industrial areas, while barriers like the highway and the train lines cut the area isolate it from the port on the west.
The project tried to give answers in the macro and the micro scale. As far as the first is concerned, it was important to see the possibilities of this area to turn upon a new city center that will be well linked to activity and economy attractors, like the port area, without loosing the existing qualities.


On the micro scale, the micro-rayon was the basic population unit during the Soviet era which was constructed on a community of around 5000 people, the plan of which was set up based on the distances of the housing blocks, the service blocks the schools and the kinder gardens. However, a century after, the demand for a more sustainable neighborhood is even more obvious. Water, energy and social equilibrium is the target. Can a rayon incorporate enough vertical farms to feed all its population? Could it reuse the water it collects within its own area and reutilize it? Could the local society benefit from a more public core of the microrayon.Research by design will give the answer in these questions within the following period.


For the first presentation please click here: