Analysis of the problems of the Usolye-Sibirskoye urban district (Irkutsk oblast) during the development of a master plan
S.I. VIOLIN1, K.V. GRIGORICHEV1, G.B. DUGAROVA2, N.V. EMELIANOVA1,2, Yu.A. KIREEVA1, K.N. KOMLEVA1, A.M. NESTERENKO1, V.A. RUDNEVA1, K.S. TSZIAN1
1Federal Research Center “A.E. Favorsky Irkutsk Institute of Chemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences”, Irkutsk, Russia
2V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
Keywords: master plan, urban development, urban planning, development strategy, Federal Chemistry Center, single-industry city
Abstract
The article considers the concept of a “master plan”, concluding that the development of master plans is a modern approach to integrated territorial development, but there are significant gaps in their theoretical justification and insufficient experience of practical implementation. At the same time, master planning has significant potential and can become an important component of the strategic and urban planning system. It is noted that more than 60 master plans for cities and urban agglomerations have already been developed in the Russian Federation; however, the issue of their development has not yet been legally regulated. It has been revealed that there is no consensus among experts regarding the place that a master plan should occupy in the system of strategic documents for territorial development. The aim of the study is to present the main results of a comprehensive analysis of the development of the city of Usolye-Sibirskoye as the first stage of preparing a master plan for this municipality. The article also highlights the city’s competitive advantages, prospects, and key constraints to its development. The following aspects are identified as the main advantages: a favorable economic and geographical location, the presence of its own natural resource base, persisting industrial potential, the presence of a preferential regime for carrying out economic activity, a developed small and medium-sized business sector, and a high provision of well-appointed housing stock. It is emphasized that the city’s main prospects are currently associated with the implementation of large investment projects, the elimination of accumulated environmental damage, and the creation of the Federal Chemistry Center. The most significant restraining factors identified are unfavorable demographic trends, low living standards and quality of life of the population, high level of deterioration and insufficient development of engineering and public utility infrastructure, unfavorable environmental situation and low provision of own budget revenues. It is noted that additional research is needed to assess the current and projected environmental situation, as well as the reasons for the high level of unemployment in the city’s economy and its structure.
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