Russia: Residential areas with kitchen gardens instead of industrial zones
Urban planners offered an alternative model, along with the officially approved project of development of abandoned industrial areas. The territory of the former factory "Crystal", which is on the waterfront of the Yauza River, was used as a model. But the concept is universal and can be applied to any industrial area, so in the near future it will be handed over to the Research Institute of the General Plan of Moscow. And the officials, working out a new urban development plan, will consider the proposals of young talents.
According to the architects, any territory of the former plant separates the living urban areas, breaks down transport links between them and worsen the environmental situation. The proposed project will improve the environment, provide traffic links and make new areas attractive to young people.
One of the ideas of the new project – is the transformation of an industrial area with poor environment into a different space with kitchen gardens, flower beds and a comfortable area to live. The first step is the creation of an experimental site of urban gardening. The residents of new districts will be able to grow fresh vegetables right outside their homes. Moreover, according to the authors of the project, the kitchen garden should become a part of the public spaces. Blooming bushes with tomatoes and potatoes on a park flower bed will look no worse than begonias and tulips, and cucumber shoots might become elements of sculptural compositions.
The architects propose to build new housing of eco-materials: modern technologies allow to build the walls even of compressed hay covered with glass or brick. These homes are a hundred times cheaper than boxes of glass and concrete, and they are built faster than prefabricated modular houses. As a result, you can get cheap student campuses and apartments for young families. Residential buildings are supposed to fill 75% of the territory. And the rest of the space should be given to businesses in order to allow residents to work close to home, as well as to public facilities and art sites. In fact, the industrial zone will become a self-contained "city within a city".
The urban planners propose to solve the problem of transport accessibility by means of railway and elevated highways. A small ring of MOSCOW RAILWAY passes through all the Metropolitan industrial areas, so in case of converting it from freight to passenger rail it will relieve the pressure on the overloaded city's subway network and link new districts in one large enclave.
The authors of the concept propose to create a car-free green zone at the site of former factories. Traffic flows and park-and-ride sites will be located beyond the boundaries of the new districts. The architects also propose to build multi-level elevated roads and bridges so that cars can easily move around the city without wasting time and fuel to bypass the industrial zone.
Source: MK.RU