Back in Russia

As you reach customs (hopefully with a visa in your passport) you may see this sign

    I first visited Russia in 2007 and took a river cruise from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. Sally liked Saint Petersburg. I liked Saint Petersburg too. But I also liked just about everything else (with the exception of the raw bacon that was served for breakfast.)

Moscow has an existing financial centre, but the roads are often so congested it is difficult to get into the city for meetings.  For this and other reasons, a new financial centre, a la Canary Wharf, is being designed as we speak.

     I returned to Russia about four years ago to serve as a judge for the Moscow International Financial Centre competition http://archsovet.msk.ru/en/competitions/rublyovo-arkhangelskoye and since then I have been back numberous times to judge other competitions and share lessons in architecture and planning.
     As a result of my work in Russia I was invited last May to Kazakhstan to participate on another jury. Notwithstanding the time away from the office, and rather long flights, I really enjoy the experiences I gain over here.
     It was for this reason I happily accepted an invitation from Strelka https://strelka.com/en earlier this summer to participate in a new program to educate young architects from around Russia on North American planning ideas. You can learn a bit about Strelka in this column I wrote for the Vancouver Courier as I was leaving.  https://www.vancourier.com/opinion/what-russians-can-learn-from-urban-development-in-vancouver-1.23426520

The view from my suite window at night

The view from my suite window in the daytime

    I arrived Tuesday evening and was somewhat embarrassed by the accommodation I had been provided at the Baltschug Kempinsky. When I checked in, the charming young lady noted this was my fourth stay at the hotel and said I would enjoy my suite overlooking the Kremlin. I wasn't expecting a suite, but I must say, if you are in Moscow and plan to do some entertaining, do book suite 310. It's extremely spacious, well-fitted out and there's two bathrooms, just in case....
     My talk was scheduled for 9:45 and when I arrived (by Uber, of course Mr. Horgan) I was pleasantly suprised to meet Corinne Seminoff of the CBC Moscow Bureau and her cameraman. She, along with Chris Brown, had been planning a segment for The National on how Moscow is improving its quality of life, in part by learning from other cities. By chance, they discovered that I had been coming over to Russia on various occasions and when they contacted me in Vancouver and learned I was coming back, they decided to join me.
     The irony is that while Rick Cluff ocassionally chatted to me on air about my work in Russia, I've never been able to attract a CBC Vancouver crew to any of my annual SFU lectures. But here in Moscow, they come!
    While I worried a bit about what I might say to interest 100 architects, planners, engineers and city officials from more than 50 cities and towns in Russia, I decided to focus on Vancouver's desire to be the Greenest City in the world, and our experience with EcoDensity, major projects (including three with which I was involved over 30 years....False Creek, Bayshore and UniverCity) and Inclusionary Zoning. I thought this might be of particular interest since it is quite different than the Russian approach to the provision of affordable housing. As Strelka and Corinne can attest, the students were most interested in how inclusionary zoning is working in Vancouver.  (I don't think we will see it in Russia for some time.
     I also enjoyed discussing the irony that while Russians move away from cooperative and communal living, millennials in Vancouver are increasingly embracing it as a way to achieve affordable housing.
     Tomorrow I will be back and Strelka, and walking the streets with Chris Brown and Corinne and who knows, perhaps one day you will see some of this on Canadian TV.

Red Square and the very opulent former government retail centre

In the places I visited, the streets were much better maintained than in Vancouver

For those of you who thought I was washed up, at Strelka they think of me as an Architect of the Future!

     In the meanwhile, if you have been putting off a trip to Russia because you were sure you wouldn't enjoy it, think again. Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Sochi and other cities are very lively, and enjoyable. You can find a great variety of food and beverages, and virtually all of the Russians I have met are as different from Vladimir Putin, as you and I are different from Donald Trump!