Public involvement in urban development: The case of Novosibirsk

A photo from the 2018 Monstration march which takes place every May 1st in Novosibirsk. The event is a sort of deliberately absurd demonstration with features of a carnival. Photo: Leonid Berold

It is clear that everyone has his or her own mental map and perception of one and the same urban landscape – there is no objectivity about it. But what is more important is not the landscape itself, but the people who walk or drive through it, who have an impact on Novosibirsk’s life and who initiate major changes. How do they see the city? What role do they play in its development? January, to be sure, is not the best month to observe local initiatives as most of them are much more visible in the spring.

Change and growth

For a proper understanding of the processes that are taking place in the city and of the peculiarities of its urban structure, it is crucial to have a general image of Novosibirsk’s historical development. The city was founded in 1893 as an important point on the Trans-Siberian railway, since construction of the bridge crossing the Ob River made the railway take the route through this area. It was granted city status in 1903 and was initially named Novo-Nikolayevsk – in honour of Russian Emperor Nicholas II and Saint Nicholas. The city developed rapidly, being an important transport hub on the crossroads of a navigable river and of the famous railroad. Among the important milestones that stimulated the city’s development was the great fire of 1909 and, of course, the Second World War.

As a result of the 1909 fire, the majority of wooden buildings in the city were damaged and this marked the beginning of the construction of stone and brick. The Second World War was a time when the city – by that time already renamed Novosibirsk (since 1925) – became a temporary home to many industries evacuated from the European part of the Soviet Union. This provoked rapid economic and industrial growth and some of the refugees who came to the city during the war remained there afterwards. The next iconic event in the history of Novosibirsk was the 1957 construction of the scientific research complex, named Akademgorodok, which hosts the Siberian Division of the Academy of Sciences and the Novosibirsk State University.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the decision was made to preserve the Soviet name of the city and its main streets. The core argument for this decision was that the city acquired its current image under the name Novosibirsk and the Soviet period had the biggest impact on its development. Indeed, today inhabited by the estimated population of more than 1.5 million people many elements of Novosibirsk’s architecture still remind you of its Soviet heritage.

May actions

Perhaps the most famous event that changes the life of Novosibirsk is called Monstration.  It takes place on May 1st every year since 2004. The event is a sort of deliberately absurd demonstration with features of a carnival. The participants march through the main street with grotesque slogans that usually do not have any literal meaning but point to recent problems of the country. There are also accompanying events, which vary from year to year and depend on the current political situation or will of the authorities to allow or forbid the parade. Artyom Loskutov, Monstration’s initiator, was repeatedly detained and accused of organising an unlawful rally. Even though year by year the demonstration becomes more and more politicised, Loskutov still perceives it as a purely artistic endeavour.

As a matter of fact Monstration is an excellent example of a public initiative that confidently went far beyond Novosibirsk’s borders. In 2017 Monstration events took place in 14 cities across Russia and abroad (in Odesa, Tartu, and Prague), while this year they were organised in as many as 21 cities. As expected, in some cities in Russia local authorities refused to regard it as a legitimate event.  This was not the case in Novosibirsk, where the mayor is a member of the Russian communist party, and the mayor’s office approved of the annual event without creating any additional problems. The 2018 Monstration in Novosibirsk, which took place on May 1st, was organised along the prominent Red Avenue with a culmination at the central square.

Another May event that has become iconic in Novosibirsk is the annual bike ride. Its main goal is to support of the development of the city and the creation of comfortable conditions for walkers and cyclists. This year marked the ride’s seventh anniversary and it was organised by a local public organisation called Hi, Bike!

The organisation’s website says that “The public project Hi, Bike! is an association of residents of the city of Novosibirsk, who ask the question – ‘How can we make our city more comfortable?’ and respond to it with their actions”. Aleksey Kunitsin, who promotes the use of bicycles in the city, is a local activist and one of the founders of the organisation. It was established in 2012 and already has more than 5,000 members. Hi, Bike! is involved in organising annual bike rides, creating new bike parking in the city, improving infrastructure, and trying to convince city officials of the relevance of micro-mobility, as well as popularising participatory planning and urban activism.

With the support of a grant from local authorities Hi, Bike! created an Urbanist Library at the Novosibirsk State Regional Scientific Library. Named “Jane’s Corner” after Jane Jacobs, an American journalist and activist, it holds a collection of more than 60 books on urban matters operating as a discussion and working platform for meetings of urbanists and urban activists. Hi, Bike! is now involved in a variety of urban projects, stimulating public participation in Novosibirsk’s development. It changes the quality of life in the city together with other organisations and initiatives, such as the Novosibirsk Open University, the Urbanist newspaper, Pedestrian movement, to just name a few.  

Local protest

Between 2013 and 2016 Novosibirsk residents tried to save from demolition a Soviet architectural ensemble located on Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street. Characteristically, this street is famous for its unified architectural style of the 1950s and 60s, and a popular place for strolls and meetings. One of its main squares surrounding the Ice Sports Palace “Siberia” used to host the building of the Sports Palace, the “Neptune” Swimming Pool, a cinema and a recreation centre. Part of this architectural ensemble was destroyed in 2016 to make room for the construction of multi-storey apartments. Novosibirsk residents attached to the Sports Palace and the recreation centre’s buildings wanted to protect them from demolition, but apparently the land was sold to a Moscow-based financial holding as early as 2007 and consequently the area was marked in the master plan as a common construction zone. Nevertheless, the demolition of the buildings gave an impetus to a protest movement and recognising the street’s architecture as an object of cultural heritage. This means that today any construction on the street requires a formal permission of the Office for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects in the Novosibirsk Region.

Over 125 years Novosibirsk has come a long way from being a waypoint on the Trans-Siberian Railway to a growing metropolis. As a result a series of problems emerged, including private sector zoning in areas adjacent to the city centre, the lack of trees in the residential neighbourhoods built in the 1960s, limited leisure space and a small number of city parks, which call for adequate actions and reactions. This also explains why majority of public initiatives that have been emerging in Novosibirsk are aimed at improving urban environment. Among the oldes of such initiatives is the Territorial Public Self-Government (TOS) of Novosibirsk, which has been functioning for around 18 years now. Its councils are active in remote districts of the city that developed around large industrial spaces. Through their efforts many of the children’s playgrounds have been renovated, new trees planted, benches and sport equipment installed. Reportedly, TOS receives support from the city authorities and local government.

125 ideas for Novosibirsk

The way in which city authorities respond to the citizens’ initiatives is an important indicator of a growing civil society in the third largest Russian city. The current mayor of the city, Anatoliy Lokot, has been in power since 2014 and has engaged with active citizens to get their support in elections. Interestingly, not only has he supported the Novosibirsk activists in their own activities, but also initiated some public campaigns.

Like the one this summer when Novosibirsk celebrated its 125th official birthday. For the occasion, the mayor’s office organised a contest called “125 ideas for Novosibirsk” which was open to every resident of the city. During two months of competition, the commission received 1,300 applications. Natalya Bagrova, the dean of Novosibirsk University of Architecture, Design and Arts, was a member of the contest committee. She commented on the results of the contest: “People pay attention to the visual side and comfort of the urban environment”. The ideas of the residents are related both to traditional elements of urban amenities – development of transport infrastructure, greening, improvement of urban lighting – and to more unusual ones such as the development of a unified urban style. Moreover, some ideas illustrate the imagination of Novosibirsk residents regarding urban comfort, which has significantly expanded. It is now clear that the city not only needs new lighting on dark streets, but also the installation of bins for cleaning up after dogs and construction of booths for smokers. One idea called for the renovation of the monument of constructivist architecture known as the House with a Clock. As promised, the City will finance 25 projects within the city and 25 in each municipal district. Perhaps the most ambitious city-wide project which received support from the city is a cycling path along the Red Avenue. The idea is not new and was repeatedly brought up to the city authorities by Hi, Bike!, but its implementation can be considered a breakthrough in interaction between the authorities and the public.

Small-scale initiatives

Another major project approved by the city is a pedestrian zone in the central part of the city. The idea has been discussed for several years and it is difficult to determine who actually initiated it – the mayor’s office or the residents of Novosibirsk. The creation of a pedestrian zone was actually introduced before the 125 ideas competition, and was developed by Strelka KB, a consultancy that works on urban development throughout Russia. Among smaller-scale citywide initiatives that received funding are also such projects as “smart” stops with Wi-Fi, power sockets and navigation panels, dog waste collections and terminals for collecting clothes, shoes and toys for people in need. They will all soon appear on the city streets for the first time.

Beyond the quality of life projects, Novosibirsk is now seeing some historical and cultural initiatives. A good example is the project “125 pages of history”. It assumes placing 125 informational stands around the city this year. Unfortunately, there is not much novelty in regards to neighbourhood projects, which have not yet gone beyond traditional understanding of urban amenities, greening of public space, improvements to public parks, new playgrounds and repairing sidewalks. This indicates that the understanding of urban residents’ needs does not include consideration for solutions adopted in urban areas around the world.  

 All in all, there is no doubt that citizens’ activism in Novosibirsk has brought good results in the city’s development. Unlike in other places, it received a positive response from city authorities. Yet, the question that still remains is to what extent these local achievements will translate into larger societal changes, influencing the civic consciousness of the population, and how can they contribute to make a long-term improvement in dialogue between the authorities and citizens?

Yulia Oreshina is a social anthropologist, translator, and lecturer in cultural memory studies at Georgian American University and editor with OC Media. Born in Novosibirsk, she is currently based in Tbilisi.

Olesya Shvets is a historian and PhD candidate at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. Born in Novosibirsk, she is currently based in Warsaw.

Novosibirsk, Report, Russia