Winners of the I All-Russian Contest for the Best Comprehensive Development of Territories Projects honoured at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The award ceremony for the winners of the I All-Russian Contest for the Best Comprehensive Development of Territories (CDT) Projects was held on 22 October at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the Russian Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities Industry Day, "Motherland Is Service. Quality Housing and Transport Infrastructure". A total of 412 applications were submitted from 67 regions and 125 municipalities. Experts selected winners and prize-winners in 17 categories. The event brought together representatives of federal authorities, regions, the expert community and the construction industry.

CDT is a mechanism designed to relocate residents from unsafe housing, renew existing developments, build social and utility infrastructure, create a comfortable urban environment and attract private investment. It was introduced in Russia almost six years ago. Since then, CDT has evolved from a new legislative tool into one of the key elements of urban renewal in Russia. The contest for the best Comprehensive Development of Territories projects aims to identify and share effective CDT solutions, including residential and non-residential development, the renewal of urban spaces, the creation of social infrastructure and improvements to regional regulatory mechanisms.

Yevgeny Grachev, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Directorate for Domestic Policy, and Natalia Virtuozova, Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, presented awards in the categories "Best CDT Project for Social Infrastructure Development", "Leader in CDT Projects Initiated by Property Rights Holders", "Best CDT Project Incorporating Cultural Legacy Sites" and "Best CDT Project with a Distinct National and Regional Identity".

"Over six years of implementation, Comprehensive Development of Territories has become a much-needed mechanism that enables our cities to develop. My sincere thanks go above all to the people actively involved in this work," Yevgeny Grachev noted.

Natalia Virtuozova, Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, discussed the role of the National Centre RUSSIA and its regional branches in transforming cities.

"The first All-Russian Contest for the Best Comprehensive Development of Territories Projects is being held at the National Centre RUSSIA, and this is no coincidence. It was created by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin as a place to take pride in our Motherland. By his order, branches are also being established in other regions, and four venues have already opened. We do more than construct individual buildings: together with regional teams, we make every effort to improve the surrounding areas. A huge thank you to everyone doing this work across the country: we see cities and towns coming to life in new ways and public spaces being transformed. We look at this with pride and see how much more comfortable people's lives are becoming and how happy it makes children," said Natalia Virtuozova, Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA.

Almost three-quarters of the winning and finalist projects are already under construction or have been completed. They include plans for 151 social infrastructure facilities. More than 275,000 square metres have already been brought into use, and residents have been relocated from more than 37,000 square metres of unsafe housing.

The main category, "Comprehensive Development of Territories. Grand Prix", received 25 applications. The winning project was submitted by the Ministry of Property Management and Urban Planning of the Perm Territory. The region also led the contest in the total number of applications, submitting 53 projects.

Alexander Lomakin, First Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation, also took part in the award ceremony.

"I am confident that our contest will provide an opportunity to share best practices and accumulated experience, discover new ideas and put them into practice in our own regions, municipalities and projects. This will create an additional cumulative effect and give further impetus to the implementation of the Comprehensive Development of Territories programme," Alexander Lomakin emphasised.

The Russian Ministry of Construction Industry Day featured plenary and panel discussions, thematic meetings and roundtables devoted to key areas of development in the construction sector. Participants examined practical solutions aimed at improving people's quality of life, developing regions and creating a modern urban environment.

An important part of the programme was the plenary session "From Strategic Decisions to Fundamental Changes", devoted to the implementation of the national project "Infrastructure for Life". It focused on achieving national development goals, improving infrastructure quality and applying effective management practices in the regions. Participants included Alexander Lomakin, First Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation; Yevgeny Grachev, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Directorate for Domestic Policy; Alexei Tsydenov, Head of the Republic of Buryatia; and Ruslan Kukharuk, Governor of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra, as well as representatives of federal agencies, public organisations and construction businesses.

The Ministry of Construction Industry Day also included the thematic meeting "Motherland Is Service. People Who Build the Future", held as part of the National Centre RUSSIA's original project "What Does the Motherland Begin With". Representatives of different generations in the construction industry discussed their professional calling, responsibility for the results of their work, the continuity of traditions and specialists' contribution to the country's development.

Housing construction and infrastructure development were the focus of the plenary discussion "Housing and Infrastructure". Participants examined approaches to housing construction, the development of social and road infrastructure, and cooperation between the state, financial institutions and businesses in delivering projects. The discussion brought together Nikita Stasishin, Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation, and representatives of the banking sector, regional authorities and property development companies.

A separate panel session, "Utility Infrastructure and Environmental Quality", was devoted to utilities development, urban improvements and the creation of comfortable public spaces. Participants discussed solutions that enable an integrated approach to infrastructure renewal and improvements to the urban environment.

The Industry Day also featured the roundtable "The City's Code: Architecture, Identity and the Creative Economy". The business programme continued with a discussion of economic and digital tools for Comprehensive Development of Territories. At the plenary session "The Economics of CDT: From Urban Development Potential to a Viable Project", experts examined the development of financial and economic models, the assessment of areas' potential and the transition from urban planning concepts to the implementation of specific projects. At the panel session "Digital Technologies and Territorial Development Management", experts examined digital tools for project planning and implementation. The programme concluded with the roundtable "Technologies for the Construction Industry", devoted to the practical application of new materials and technological solutions in construction.