Background

The Future City Game on Sretenka Street was held on 10th September, 2010 as part of the first Russian design festival Sretenka Design Week, arranged within Moscow Design Days, which is a government programme supporting three main city events in the sphere of design.

The event, organised in close partnership with the Design Development Centre and with the support of Moscow government, took place in the ’Drama School‘ theatre.

Objectives

On 11 September, after a meeting with the European experts, the ideas were presented to the general public, including city decision-makers, professionals, tenants, officials, local people and those who are interested in the city’s development and urban planning.

The experts and representatives of the public admitted that during the game fifty formulated ideas were initiated, five of which include more detailed information on the formulated challenge, solutions, elements of creativity and innovation, as well as an initial implementation model. This information will be used as recommendations for local authorities for use in development planning processes.

Some participants expressed an interest in taking part in the development of ideas which may be a good platform for new social initiatives in the Sretenka area.

The ‘Sretenka Hollywood’ idea as the winning idea, might be developed through representatives of the cinema industry and the Moscow administration (a similar idea succeeded in Latvia). The representative of the Design Development Centre confirmed the plan of the organisation to examine all the developed ideas and try to develop some of the most realistic and interesting ones for the Sretenka area and its residents, as well as local businesses and creative industries.
 
You can learn more about the game here.

Winning idea

Sretenka Hollywood
The idea is based on forming and promoting Sretenka Street and the neighbouring area as a platform for the needs of the film industry. The competitive advantages and success factors of the project idea are: 1) capitalising on its historical heritage; 2) minimal investments; 3) opportunities for public/private partnership; 4) unique marketing niche; 5) implementation of the ‘theory of small things’ – small, elegant activities that refine the environment; 6) cultivation of “New Life”; 7) a living, growing, aesthetically flawless area – the best place in the world for filming!

The idea was tested publicly and most respondents supported the idea and would also be interested in taking part in filming, even as extras.

Winning ideas from the other teams

Carlson roofs
The idea is based on the use of the roofs of houses in the Sretenka area as platforms for entertainment and educational activities for children and youth. Also, the development of a creative atmosphere on the roofs of Sretenka Street houses would unite residents. Houses are not just walls, but also the people who live within them. The project would meet the challenge of the lack of playgrounds for recreation and walks, as well as places to play with children in the centre of Moscow. The team hopes that through planting activities on the roofs, local residents would begin to create a shared space and make friendships from flat to flat.
 
Trash-design festival
This project idea was designed to collect garbage from local residents, recycle old things and turn them into new functional, design or art objects. Specially marked containers would be allocated in the area to collect specific things (not necessarily only for residents); the recycling process would then be arranged in nearby workshops, and designers would give open master classes or lectures on turning garbage into design or art objects. Also, more public activities are planned, e.g. a fair/sale of recycled objects, exhibitions in galleries of garbage art works, as well as street performances by Sretenka theatres.
 
Sretenka eco-blocks
The project idea is based on limiting the transport flow in the area (paid entry for cars), as well as on developing underground parking facilities and promoting the use of bicycles, trailers, and scooters. The development of a water channel system is also as one of project’s elements, and includes various services on water such as a ‘Café on water’, boating and other attractions. Other ways to develop Sretenka as an eco-block are by greening the yards, facades and roofs, and using art installations. In order to involve creative industries, art objects functioning as containers would be used to collect the garbage. Also, an underground system can be created to collect rubbish and make it invisible on the streets. From the business perspective, newly designed eco-offices could be located in the area, which would make it not only the main eco-visible, but also the main eco-operating area in Moscow.
 
S.Y.Nergy
S.Y.N.ergy – the Social Yard Network project solves the problem of the many inadequate and completely disused courtyards and outdoor spaces in the Sretenka area by creating a socially comfortable environment. The main activity would be to turn abandoned areas into communication/active spaces (yard ensembles). This would be done by creating individuality for each yard, connecting the yards with walkways, and by creating an internal navigation system. Other elements of interaction could include a children’s playground, ‘Hanging Gardens’, a summer stage and a ‘Moscow Yard’.