Ilya Smirnov on New Approaches to Moscow’s Waterfront Development

Ilya Smirnov, Head of Analytics at the international urban consultancy CENTER LAB, commented to Argumenty i Fakty on contemporary approaches to waterfront improvement and the development of Moscow’s riverside territories.

The article “The City’s Main Artery: Sergei Sobyanin on the Role of the Moskva River” explores the river’s role in the life of the capital, the development of urban embankments, water transport, and public spaces along the waterfront. Particular attention is given to how approaches to designing riverside territories are changing.

According to Ilya Smirnov, one of the key principles today is multifunctionality — public spaces are designed to serve different groups of residents and support a wide range of use scenarios throughout the day.

“We have moved away from spaces focused solely on commercial functions. Today, the emphasis is on diversity — one morning you go for a run, the next day you come with your child, and another day you sit down with a book. Terraced solutions and changes in elevation also help create more effective zoning,” said Ilya Smirnov.

The expert also highlighted growing interest in interactive playgrounds designed for different age groups, including teenagers, as well as floating pontoon structures that make the water more accessible to users of public spaces.

These solutions reflect a broader shift away from monofunctional landscaping toward more complex urban environments that combine walking, recreation, sports, and family-oriented scenarios.

The Argumenty i Fakty article also notes that the development of Moscow’s embankments is now part of a broader transformation of former industrial and previously inaccessible waterfront territories into open and accessible urban spaces.

Read the full article on Argumenty i Fakty:
https://aif.ru/moscow/glavnaya-arteriya-sergey-sobyanin-rasskazal-o-znachenii-moskvy-reki

Photo: LLC “CENTER LAB”