VICA New Town

The planning challenge was to create a Long Range Development Master Plan for a proposed new town north of St. Petersburg Russia ...[Read more]

That could absorb the enormous growth then predicted as a result of a regional economic development strategy between the government and a private sector developer. The town was to be organized around the redevelopment of an old Russian Air Force Base forming a new trade oriented international airport. The Governor of Leningrad’s goal was to create a multi-modal (sea-land-air) free trade zone for shipment of goods in and out of Russia. The area for the development was defined through a site analysis and coordination with local planning officials. The region is heavily forested and has a topography typical of glacial movement resulting in linear drainage features and wetlands.

The master a plan proposed wildlife conservation corridors mirroring the linear wetlands and water features and designated them as no build zones. Water quality ponds were proposed throughout the development to protect habitat & wildlife. An airport plan, customs terminal, train depot and residential village were planned for the early phases.

The long range plan envisioned the development of a new town east of Vyborg on the Finnish border to attract international industrial concerns. The town plan employed the curvilinear street patterns typical of Leningrad and Amsterdam, to calm the winter north winds of the region. An existing rail line was proposed as a linkage between the multiple villages proposed in the LRDMP.