More than 700 people visited the Urban Hub platform during SPIEF 2025

For the fifth time, the Roscongress Urban Hub platform, an international discussion platform dedicated to urban planning and urban studies, was operating at SPIEF 2025. The platform's events were supported by the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation. The strategic partner was DOM.Russia, the largest Russian development companies have become partners of the site.

The main theme of the SPIEF 2025 platform was "Urban Heritage" - discussions focused on finding a balance between heritage preservation and innovative development of territories. More than 700 people took part in the discussions – representatives of developers and regulators, industry experts, architects, urbanists, teachers and students of specialized universities. As part of the business program, 14 sessions were held, where the current state of the urban development industry, key challenges, trends and development directions were discussed.

The speakers of the business program were Irek Fayzullin, Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation, Stanislav Voskresensky, Governor of the Ivanovo Region, Rustam Minnikhanov, Governor of the Republic of Tatarstan, Vladimir Solodov, Governor of the Kamchatka Territory, Maxim Afanasyev, Mayor of Tyumen, Vladislav Ovchinsky, Minister of the Government of Moscow, Head of the Department of Urban Planning Policy, part of the Complex of Urban Planning Policy and Construction of the City of Moscow, CEO of DOM.RF JSC Vitaly Mutko, heads of the largest development companies.

"The topic of heritage that we have chosen for SPIEF 2025 has brought together discussions on a very wide range of topics: the preservation of historical heritage, the need for dialogue between market participants for further development, market behavior strategies, regulatory and support measures, technological solutions - everything that allows not only to preserve heritage, but also to create it for new generations. The venue gathered a large number of guests and spectators, which allowed us to get a comprehensive picture of the state of the industry and the mood of key players – from market leaders and government representatives to creative bureaus and even students. I am sure that our participants have received a lot of insights that will help them adjust their expectations and take into account the conclusions of the site's discussions," commented Yulia Zubarik, Program Director of the Urban Hub platform.

During the sessions on heritage preservation, we discussed a key trend towards changing attitudes towards historical sites and spaces – they are becoming attractive assets and occupy a strong place in the investment and ESG strategy of the business. The redevelopment of cultural heritage sites serves as a tool for the further development of territories, improving the quality of the environment for the influx of new qualified personnel, as well as increasing the tourist attractiveness.

The development of small towns, the search for their identity and development strategies were also discussed. According to the speakers, the potential of small towns is not limited by their tourist attractiveness. Upgrading infrastructure, improving the quality of the environment and social services can be effective measures to transform small towns into high-tech hubs and centers of unique competencies.

Sessions were held on the transformation of the urban development industry and strategies for the behavior of developers in the current macroeconomic environment. The importance of dialogue between industry players and regulators, the combination of available support tools and business diversification was noted.

In the sessions devoted to the development of architecture and the creative environment, the importance of a client-centered approach to design and construction, working out scenarios for different social groups and adapting the environment to the needs of residents was noted.

On the SPIEF Youth Day, urban students proposed solutions aimed at improving the quality of life of young citizens of different social groups. The teams' proposals were evaluated by curators from among architects, urbanists and consultants in the field of urban planning and urban environment development.