Best Places to Live in: Russian Experts Ranked New Houses of St. Petersburg

The pioneering quality ranking of urban living environment was presented by St. Petersburg experts. Researchers of ITMO University`s Institute of Design and Urban Studies and “Urbanica`s” specialists have spent two years to rank more than 300 residential areas. Which new houses in St. Petersburg are the best to live in? Russian experts answered this question at the official meeting where presented the results of their research.

The official presentation of the ranking brought together St. Petersburg urban experts, entrepreneurs, journalists and representatives of the Government such as Igor Albin, Vice Governor of Saint Petersburg, Irina Babiuk, head of Committee for investment of St. Petersburg and Mikhail Demidenko, head of St Petersburg Committee for Construction. Vladimir Vasilyev, ITMO University rector, couldn`t take part in the meeting but he greeted the guests in a letter, which was read out by his colleagues for all visitors.

“Increasing of life quality is an issue of exceptional importance. A disbalance in high indexes of economic strength and quality of urban environment may prevent our city from development and decrease its` competitiveness. It is necessary to standardize urban agglomeration so as to avoid mass housing, which was popular in the last decades. This project might be the trend, which will improve urban dwelling in St. Petersburg.”

The researchers analyzed the quality of life at several residential areas of St. Petersburg that were built in 2009-2014. Using a multiple approach experts took into account such points as a location, building estate where a residential area was situated, quarter boarders, courtyard and a block of flats. Having evaluated 600 comfort-and economy class residential complexes experts ranked them giving form 1 to 6 points.

“We want to show this ranking not only real estate developers, but also executive powers and experts. This research can be also included into an educational process. Thus intermediary results of the research were obtained by our Master students who provided field studies,” noted Mikhail Klimovsky, strategic development officer of Institute of Design and Urban Studies.

Here are the most important problems of new residential areas: lack of parking spaces, trees and leisure areas, as well as old fashioned architectural solutions. According to the research about 50 percent of new houses that were constructed in 2010-2015 in St. Petersburg are low-grade. Urbanists also noted that they didn`t use the support of real estate development companies in order to be more objective.

ITMO University`s and Urbanika`s experts suppose that it is very important to promote high-grade real-estate development projects so as to discuss and solve urban problems together with officials, investors, developers and dwellers.

The results of the research are presented here.

“Apart from expert analysis we take into account opinion of householders. Currenlty we survey online communities where dwellers discuss problems connected with their hoses,” said Mr. Klimovsky.

Summarizing the discussion Igor Albin offered a roadmap, which will underlie the development of the project. The Vice Governor underlined that construction industry should be reformed. The first important step is to make construction documents and project plans open for public inspection.