As part of the International Festival "Zodchestvo 2024", on 13 November, the SPbGASU Department of Urban Planning held its first round table dedicated to the integration of architectural and urban planning education in higher school into the design and urban planning practice of the Leningrad Region.

Participants from SPbGASU were Dean of the Faculty of Architecture Ekaterina Vozniak, Head of the Department of Urban Planning Yulia Yankovskaya, Associate Professors Svetlana Levoshko and Mikhail Vilensky, who acted as a moderator, and Associate Professor Oksana Peslyak, who participated in its preparation. The Leningrad Region was represented by specialized state organizations and enterprises.

"The topic of the Leningrad Region is integrated into course works, diploma projects, practical training of bachelors and masters of our department, and into competitive design. In addition, representatives of government bodies and urban development structures of the Leningrad Region study in the postgraduate program, preparing candidate dissertations on topics related to current issues of the region's development. Thus, in 2023, under my supervision, the first deputy chairman of the Committee for Urban Development Policy of the Leningrad Region - Chief Architect of the Leningrad Region Sergey Lutchenko successfully defended his candidate dissertation "Territorial Planning Organization of Tourist Infrastructure of the Leningrad Region". In total, eight candidate dissertations on the problems of the Leningrad Region have been defended at SPbGASU over the past ten years," said Yulia Yankovskaya, Head of the  Department of Urban Planning.

Currently, the Chairperson of the Committee for Architecture and Urban Development of the Kingisepp District of the Leningrad Region, Chief Architect of the District Elena Shevyrtalova is studying the features of the planning organization of rapidly developing industrial territories. Urban development issues of functional zoning of the territory in modern conditions are in the center of attention of the Deputy Head of the State Budgetary Institution "Urban Development of Territories of the Leningrad Region" Ekaterina Khmeleva. The features of the spatial development of rural agglomerations on the example of the Leningrad Region are revealed by the former First Deputy Head of the State Budgetary Institution "Urban Development of Territories of the Leningrad Region", now Director of LOGAS LLC Yaroslav Soldatenkov. The subject of study of the Director of Glav Proekt SPb LLC Sergey Emtsov is urban development algorithms for the sustainable development of medium and small towns.

Sergey Lutchenko, for his part, covered in detail the work of the Committee for Urban Development Policy on supervising and conducting student internships for specialized universities in the Leningrad Region, competitive work with students and professionals commissioned by the Leningrad Region, and the experience of holding summer schools for students of architectural specialties. Vladimir Demin (from 2010 to 2018 - Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Architecture and Urban Development of the Leningrad Region) fifteen years ago began active work with the SPbGASU Faculty of Architecture on relevant commissioned architectural and urban development topics for the needs of the region. At the round table, he presented promising directions for further cooperation.

According to Yulia Yankovskaya, the round table was a great success and brought together many participants. As a result of the meeting, numerous professional contacts were established, including with representatives of various regions of the Russian Federation, allowing for the improvement of architectural and urban planning education at SPbGASU.

The SPbGASU Department of Urban Planning was founded in 1928. As of 2024, it has more than 500 students: about 400 bachelor's students, about 100 master's students, 20 PhD students, and 3 doctoral students. The department annually participates in the largest Russian and international student competitions, contests for young scientists - more than 100 laureates annually. Diploma, course and competition projects, postgraduate research over the past five years have covered more than 90% of the regions of Russia and many foreign countries. Graduates of the department work both in architectural and urban planning companies and in government bodies from municipal to federal levels.

The International Festival "Zodchestvo 2024" was held in Moscow from 12 to 14 November. It was organized by the Union of Architects of Russia with the support of the Government of Moscow, the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation and the Committee for Architecture and Urban Development of the City of Moscow. The participation of our university in the festival was organized by the SPbGASU Educational Center of Project-Based Learning.