SYKTYVKAR, October 19. /TASS/. Work on a master plan to develop a single-industry polar town of Vorkuta in the Komi Region, a backbone territory of the Russian Federation's Arctic Zone, is due to be finalized in the second quarter of 2024, the RTDA Moscow architectural bureau told TASS.

A big team of experts, participating in the work on the plan's first stage, has completed their part, the architectural bureau added.

"Vorkuta's development master plan has been initiated by Vorkutaugol ('Voprkutacoal,' part of the AEON Corporation's Russian Energy Company). This work is being carried out by an interdisciplinary team of specialists led by the RTDA architectural bureau. The team features architects, urban planners, engineers, transport development specialists, ecology experts, sociologists and economists. We plan to complete the work on Vorkuta's master plan in the second quarter of 2024," the architectural bureau told TASS.

By now, experts have analyzed the current situation and collected primary data. They have surveys the city's territory, had in-depth interviews and focus groups with city experts, and conducted a massive online survey of residents, as well as a session with public opinion leaders. Later on, the experts would draft the city's potential development. However, at further stages of designing the master plan, the experts will clarify ideas and concepts.

The Vorkutaugol Company told TASS, the city residents had been important partners at the project's initial stage. About 50 people attended the session: local residents involved in culture, education, sports, as well as businesses, active city residents, volunteers, and the youth. They discussed various issues from the demand to have universities' branches to the improvement of areas around houses. The experts have seen clearly the locals want cultural and leisure centers with a focus on leisure for teenagers.

Based on plan by Vorkuta architect

During the work on the master plan, it authors have been paying special attention to the unique city with the harsh subarctic climate - cold winters and short summers.

"Interestingly: our ecologists have found the average annual temperatures indicate a gradual warming that leads to milder climate conditions. Not far from the city there are truly scenic natural objects, real attractions that can build up the region's tourist potential. Not to leave alone the cultural and historical heritage, the artifacts that still remain in the city and about which the locals care so much. We, as urban planners, consider as very valuable the master plan by Soviet architect from Leningrad Vsevolod Lunev, and the axial city structure he has proposed. That structure has been largely preserved, but risks being lost," RTDA noted.

At the second stage, specialists analyze the existing situation in the city, they will process the collected data to identify missing city functions, to confirm and clarify what problems the residents face. This information will form a foundation for design solutions at the third, final stage of work on the master plan.

"The Vorkutaugol Company sees its objective in making the city where its employees and their families live comfortable enough to keep those people remain connected with the city for many years," the press service quoted the company's Director General Maxim Panov as saying. "We plan to participate actively in Vorkuta's development and improvement."

Vorkuta is a polar coal-mining town in the Komi Region. Its population is about 57,000 people. Vorkuta is the sixth largest settlement beyond the Arctic Circle, it is on the list of the Russian Federation's Arctic zone's 16 backbone territories. The Vorkuta Urban District includes seven settlements, and another seven settlements have been either closed or transformed into Vorkuta's suburbs. About 6,000 residents are employed with Vorkutaugol and its subsidiaries.