Over the last few decades, public spaces have been suffering from a progressive dystrophy. Prevalence of private cars in the absence of a good alternative to public transport and fragmentation of the city in the absence of its proper complex organization do a lot of harm to the city’s image.

Many foreign cities started to value urban public spaces and to revitalize them about forty years ago. Examples of successful cities and various inspiring decisions encourage us to create a city structure as a place where people meet. Each city has an individual approach, but common features of the cities are: aspiration to create a comfort environment for a human being, a strong leader who can realize this idea and sequential and decisive actions to create a humane city for people.

Foreign investment by the United Arab Emirates in the 'Beograd na vodi' master plan sets the stage for the largest urban development in the Serbian capital since the planning of Novi Beograd. While the government embraces the plan as an instrument to spur economic growth in Serbia, critics are more cautious and warn for cliche corporate development.

More than half of our built environment in Germany is created in the period after 1945, including the technical infrastructures. For the built heritage of the postwar era - the majority is in use - there is important need for renovation and modernization. To transfer the architecture and urban ensembles of this time into the present and make them fit for a sustainable future, is a task of considerable scope and with complex requirements. 60 years after the war destruction of the Second World War and after the origin of the so-called Second Modernism, it is time to evaluate beyond resentment and euphoria with the tasks that is currently arising in the practice of urban development. The following article shows three projects of urban planning in Dresden, the challenges and requirements, but also what opportunities may be offered by responsible transformation of districts from Post-war modernism era.

Basing on the materials of the research in the field of territorial planning and urban development, as well as on his personal research and design experience in territorial and urban planning within the so-called nonmetropolitan practice, the author of the article gives concrete examples of this practice and evaluates them.

The article presents proposals worked out by the international teams that took part in the 18th session of International Baikal Winter University of Urban Planning. The session focused on small rivers rehabilitation as a part of sustainable development. Through the case study of the Ushakovka River in Irkutsk, the teams proposed new ideas of riverfront development, which can be also applied to other small rivers.

The article features the methodology of the International Baikal Winter University of Urban Planning Design, the topics and the teams that participated in the 19th session. The article describes the site, the technical assignment and the work of the teams. It underlines the significance of abundant territories as hidden
resources for urban development.

The article reviews the results of the urban studies workshop of the All-Russian Project “Summer School”. It presents two variants of the Volga waterfront development on Savelovskaya side of Kimra in the Tver region. The development concepts were worked out by two teams of students and young specialists. Not only architects, but also politologists, philosophers, geographers, economists and mathematicians took part in the workshop.

Two articles by A. Bokov are bound by the common narrative. The author reviews present-day relationships between architecture, construction, urban studies and management. The author expresses deep concern over the trends launched in the period of Khrushchev’s reforms. Starting from the 1960s, architects have been gradually losing their mission of the bearer of the coherent view of the developing city. Developers pursue their own narrow and not always legal interests, while imposing on the architect the role of an obedient executor.

The article features the main areas of focus within the Architectural Planning Department of Irkutsk National Research State Technical University related to designing of new museums for towns in Priangarie. Several student projects elaborated for Irkutsk, Malta, Khuzhir and Listvyanka are described. The article also presents the contents of architectural student competitions and scientific events on this topic. The relation between construction of museums and development of tourism in the towns is considered. The article comes to the conclusion that building of new museums in Irkutsk makes economic sense.

The article is devoted to the practical application of the participatory design method to the development of a public space (square), with the involvement of all users of the area.

The site of the 'Joncs Marins' is situated on the southern edge of the Paris metropolitan area. It is a natural open space with woodlands, meadows and farmland and part of the river Orge valley. Different uses like agriculture, industrial and commercial activities and recreation coexist in this space alongside legal and illegal housing constructions.
As the urbanized area of the Paris metropolis is growing, these natural spaces are increasingly under the pressure of urbanisation. Recognizing the importance of these spaces, the regional government tries to preserve them from an ongoing fragmentation. The planning office Rethink got commissioned by the region to elaborate a guide plan for the protection and future uses of the Joncs Marins. A guide plan, that would compose the
basis to coordinate the future initiatives of the local actors.
Today situated on the edge of the metropolis, these natural spaces will form the future urban parks, when the urbanisation has overgrown them. Like the two major parks of Paris, the 'Bois de Boulogne' and the 'Bois de Vincennes' have been once woodlands for hunting situated far outside of the city.

The article reviews the procedure and the results of the All-Russian competition for the best projects for comfortable urban environment in small towns and historic settlements organized in May 2018. It points out the interest among citizens towards the proposed projects and their focus on revealing the cultural identity of small towns and historic settlements. The article describes the procedure of public defence of the winning projects and information support of the competition.

The public housing estate 'La Hêtraie' was built 40 years ago in the municipality of Limeil-Brévannes in the Paris region. Its open spaces are still marked by their initial design. A design that does not satisfy the today's needs and wishes of the residents. A team of urban planners are now elaborating a new landscape design in relationship with the renovation of five buildings with altogether 209 apartments. The building renovation focuses on the apartments and common spaces, including wheelchair accessibility. The new urban landscape restructures the open spaces with a higher diversity of spaces, strengthens the environmental qualities, includes rainwater management and develops new uses in collaboration with the residents.

The article reviews the results of the 17th session of International Baikal Winter University of Urban Planning Design, the subject of which was “The System of Urban Centers. Formation of Public Spaces”. The international teams presented their reconstruction projects for urban areas, including periphery districts of Irkutsk. The teams proposed various scenarios for using the public spaces in different time, by different categories of users, depending on the functions of public spaces.

The article analyzes the content and the results of the City Community Forum in Irkutsk. It describes the theoretical approaches to the activity of city communities, their principles, success factors and quality characteristics of the basic measures for promotion of city identity.

Including: Speech by the Expert Mark Meerovich, speech by the Expert Elena Grigoryeva

In 2014 our office rethink worked together with the office Labgrad, Saint Petersburg, on a development strategy of the Republic of Tatarstan. The Republic of Tatarstan is crossed by two large and mythic rivers – the Volga and the Kama - and is generally divided by a dense network of river valleys. Today, cities worldwide rediscover their waterfronts and take advantage of their waterfront position to differentiate and to attract residents, jobs and investments in international competition. In our study we set a focus on the potential of the Volga and the Kama
River space to become a structuring river corridor, offering a high quality of life and spaces for the new economy. These river spaces create links on national, regional and local level. They form the blue heart of Tatarstan.

The article features the architects’ architectural and town-planning credo, views and experience demonstrated in the concept of the public-recreational environment of Krasnoyarsk. It can be properly realized only through the dialogue between the power, business representatives, architects and municipal communities. It is concluded that a high-quality urban environment is possible only if the interests of different social groups, communities and each citizen are considered in an integrated manner, in relation to the current urban processes and the city’s
architectural and spatial possibilities.