(KZN.RU,
July 8, Ksenia Shvetsova). Participation in the Moscow Urban Forum and other significant
discussions on the formation of the urban environment allows Kazan to explore
the most advanced experience in infrastructure development and share best
practices with other cities, said Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, at the
Business Monday today.
This year,
the Moscow Urban Forum was devoted to discussing issues and presentations of
initiatives of city administrations, businesses, citizens, which are aimed at
ensuring balanced and sustainable development of cities, improving the life
quality through the implementation of large-scale projects.
“Even
today, more than half of the world's population lives in cities. In the
foreseeable future, this figure could reach 80%”, said I. Metshin. “What a city
should be like, and environment, ecology, what place should people occupy and
what should be done to accept the challenge of the world order were discussed
at the forum”.
In addition
to interesting projects and useful practices, the discussion participants were
able to identify the most important tasks for the future, added the Mayor. “We
take part in such events to learn, correctly manage our tomorrow”.
The
separate site was devoted to the importance of public spaces for the urban
atmosphere, where Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of the RT, participated as
a speaker. “Many cities are just beginning this way, rethinking the meaning of
public spaces. And we are walking it with confidence and have already gained
some experience”, said I. Metshin. He added that today the capital of Tatarstan
values not so much the formation of public spaces but their use and filling
with exciting events.
The Moscow
Urban Forum was held in Moscow from 4 to 7 of July. At the forum, I. Metshin
announced an open competition for the position of the chief architect of Kazan
and invited Russian and foreign experts to participate in it.
The Moscow
Urban Forum has been held since 2011 annually with the support of the
Government of Moscow and on the initiative of Sergey Sobyanin, the Mayor of
Moscow. The festival program, open to all comers, has become a site for the meeting
of urban communities. They can discuss effective participation in the life of
the city and the presentation of their projects.