August 06, 2008
Oleg Tolkachev: The current issues of housing and investment in construction in agglomerations should be discussed at the Forum
The issues of housing and investments in construction in agglomerations will be a separate topic for discussion at the 5th Baikal Economic Forum. According to Oleg Tolkachev, president of the Council of Federation Commission on Housing Policies, ‘though natural agglomeration is nothing new, in the postindustrial epoch it requires serious analysis and decision making at the state level. The issues to be discussed at 'Natural Agglomeration Development' Round Table are current problems of big cities, management mechanisms in big cities, innovative and infrastructure projects, etc. The goal is to find answers and solutions that will provide for efficient development of megalopolises and make them a vehicle of development of Regions of Russia.
We will trace the course of the housing reform and consider the activities of the Federal Foundation for the Housing Reform in the regions of Siberia and the Far East, said the Senate parliamentary. Also, we will touch upon the aspects of major repairs and transferring lands from some state institutions, including the Ministry of Defense, he added.
According to Tolkachev, there are big opportunities in Krasnoyarsky Krai and Irkutsk Oblast. In Priangarie high technologies are being introduced, and the energy indicators of this region are the highest in Russia. Irkutsk, Angarsk, and Shelekhov form a large natural agglomeration with a population of 1 million and a huge human and production potential not only in Siberia but in all Russia as well. It is important to understand what kind of investments and efforts need to be made in order to develop the infrastructure and the transport between these cities, said Tolkachev.
An agglomeration where millions of people live is a difficult thing to manage. From this point of view the Round Table will encompass issues of electricity and heating systems, factory location and creation of new jobs, security for people and facilities, taxing policy, healthcare and education, financial support, etc. Special attention of the Round Table participants will be given to governance at the local level in the regions of Siberia, as, according to the new Town-planning Code of Russia, territorial planning is given to municipal institutions. It is very important for the latter to be competent in fulfilling their tasks in the course of agglomeration, city, and village growth.
During the Forum the issues of the Irkutsk airport modernization will be discussed. Particularly, the construction of the new runway and later a new airdrome. As well, one of the focuses of discussion will be the main directions of the Khabarovsk Krai and Primorie development, including the condition of Nakhodka and Vostochny ports and the possibilities of their further reconstruction.
As Oleg Tolkachev mentioned, regional policy cannot be efficient without a legislative basis stipulating the aspects of agglomeration development. Working out of such a basis and its improvement is a task not only for the Regions of Russia, but also for the city authorities and the Federal center.
