We asked him about our forum and the topic of agglomerations:
Q: Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do, how do you encounter the topic of agglomerations in your work?
A: My name is Dmitry Zabirov. I work at the Skolkovo School of Management and do project work on programs for the development of Russian cities. Five years ago I was also involved in a program to develop single-industry towns. Then 2 years ago I worked in the program "Top 100 Russian Cities". And now there is a program "Hospitable Cities", dedicated to the development of domestic tourism.
I work with teams of cities and regions to produce urban development projects.
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Q: What do you think are the key problems the agglomeration has now?
A: The key problem of agglomeration, in my opinion, is the problem of complexity. Agglomeration is a supersystem that combines not only several cities or towns, but also a significant number of processes that take place within these agglomerations. Further, we have processes of life going one way, and processes of management and administration going another way. And so this discontinuity generates additional complexity.
And for me the key issue is the issue of complexity of the object of management. What really needs to be managed, what processes are natural and should be left alone, and what processes need to be decisively taken under control and somehow dealt with.
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Q: What topics do you plan to discuss at the forum? What do you consider your task to cover?
A: My co-moderator Maria Leontieva and I have a section devoted to the study of the historical and cultural potential of the agglomeration. And how historical and cultural heritage can be used in the context of agglomeration development. We will have three sessions for this purpose. The first is what are the effects of taking into account the historical and cultural heritage, which can be used in the development of the urban economy, urban environment, tourism development, and in the development of the system of working with citizens. Second - what, actually, is the development potential here, when we talk about historical and cultural potentials.What it is, how we can apply it, how we can see it. And the last thing is mechanisms: what kind of interdepartmental cooperation should be established in order not to lose, not to let the fragile heritage slip through our fingers. These traditions, these ways of life, these traces of history, these objects, I would say. They would not be trampled down, but on the contrary preserved, and new projects, new ways of life, new formats of interaction would emerge on their basis.
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Q: We know that you are very attentive to the legacy that your mother, Farida Mukhamedovna, created, to those results, those developments. In terms of what she has been doing, what do you think are the most relevant topics in the context of this year's theme?
A: Thank you for the question. My mother, Farida Zabirova, has dedicated her entire professional life to the republic and the preservation of its heritage. Both tangible and intangible. And it seems to me that it is very important to continue the themes that she dealt with. This is the preservation of the historic center, and the work, the dense work of preservationists, preservation activists, officials and businesses. So there is constant constructive interaction.
In recent years, my mom has been very interested in the topic of urban acupuncture. That there are areas in the structure of urban space that, by working with them, we can have a strong systemic effect on the whole city. Well like acupuncture, like acupuncture. If some organ hurts and we target it, revitalize this zone, this district, this quarter, we will get a significant effect. Because the whole city, just like our body, is a living organism, and its key zones will significantly disperse some transportation issues, issues of routes and scenarios of urban life.
And, of course, it is also related to heritage.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do, how do you encounter the topic of agglomerations in your work?
A: My name is Dmitry Zabirov. I work at the Skolkovo School of Management and do project work on programs for the development of Russian cities. Five years ago I was also involved in a program to develop single-industry towns. Then 2 years ago I worked in the program "Top 100 Russian Cities". And now there is a program "Hospitable Cities", dedicated to the development of domestic tourism.
I work with teams of cities and regions to produce urban development projects.
----------
Q: What do you think are the key problems the agglomeration has now?
A: The key problem of agglomeration, in my opinion, is the problem of complexity. Agglomeration is a supersystem that combines not only several cities or towns, but also a significant number of processes that take place within these agglomerations. Further, we have processes of life going one way, and processes of management and administration going another way. And so this discontinuity generates additional complexity.
And for me the key issue is the issue of complexity of the object of management. What really needs to be managed, what processes are natural and should be left alone, and what processes need to be decisively taken under control and somehow dealt with.
----------
Q: What topics do you plan to discuss at the forum? What do you consider your task to cover?
A: My co-moderator Maria Leontieva and I have a section devoted to the study of the historical and cultural potential of the agglomeration. And how historical and cultural heritage can be used in the context of agglomeration development. We will have three sessions for this purpose. The first is what are the effects of taking into account the historical and cultural heritage, which can be used in the development of the urban economy, urban environment, tourism development, and in the development of the system of working with citizens. Second - what, actually, is the development potential here, when we talk about historical and cultural potentials.What it is, how we can apply it, how we can see it. And the last thing is mechanisms: what kind of interdepartmental cooperation should be established in order not to lose, not to let the fragile heritage slip through our fingers. These traditions, these ways of life, these traces of history, these objects, I would say. They would not be trampled down, but on the contrary preserved, and new projects, new ways of life, new formats of interaction would emerge on their basis.
--------
Q: We know that you are very attentive to the legacy that your mother, Farida Mukhamedovna, created, to those results, those developments. In terms of what she has been doing, what do you think are the most relevant topics in the context of this year's theme?
A: Thank you for the question. My mother, Farida Zabirova, has dedicated her entire professional life to the republic and the preservation of its heritage. Both tangible and intangible. And it seems to me that it is very important to continue the themes that she dealt with. This is the preservation of the historic center, and the work, the dense work of preservationists, preservation activists, officials and businesses. So there is constant constructive interaction.
In recent years, my mom has been very interested in the topic of urban acupuncture. That there are areas in the structure of urban space that, by working with them, we can have a strong systemic effect on the whole city. Well like acupuncture, like acupuncture. If some organ hurts and we target it, revitalize this zone, this district, this quarter, we will get a significant effect. Because the whole city, just like our body, is a living organism, and its key zones will significantly disperse some transportation issues, issues of routes and scenarios of urban life.
And, of course, it is also related to heritage.