DOI: 10.7256/2310-8673.2018.3.26426

Abstract: The objects of this research is the practice of design contests in the area of architecture and urban planning in modern Russia; while the subject is its legislative regulation. The normative legal base that affects the design contests is viewed in comparison with the systems of legislative regulation in the European Union and the United States. The author conducts an analysis of the three levels of regulation of the contestable practice: international, federal, and regional contained in the Civil Code, law “On the Architectural Activity in the Russian Federation”, and other documents. The article examines the aspects associated with the legislative regulation of the order and conditions of holding the contests, as well as determining the place of contest within the system of urban planning activity. A conclusion is made on the non-consistency of the contestable method of adopting the urban planning decisions in Russia and lack of answers to some practically important questions in the legislative framework. Particularly, the acting laws do not determine the criteria of situations that necessitate resorting to holding a public design contest. The article suggests a model on integration of the contestable practice into the system of urban planning activity for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of contestable method of adopting the important decisions in the area of urban planning and architecture.

DOI: 10.7256/2310-8673.2018.2.25247

Abstract: The object of this research is the architectural city-planning competitions held in Saint Petersburg in the time after 1991. The indicated competitions are viewed as a part of a broader concept of competitive practices; seven of the most significant areas of their application are described. Based on the analysis of feasibility of the results of studied competitions, the author conducts an assessment of the effectiveness of competitive method as a way of adopting decisions in the field of architecture and city-planning. A need is substantiated for creating the normative-legal mechanism for regulation of holding the competitive procedures for increasing the efficiency of the competitive method. The assessment of efficiency of competitive method is carries out on the basis of specially compiled database that includes over sixty design contests. The main conclusion consists in the proof of the extremely low effectiveness of competitive method of adoption of the architectural and city-planning decisions in post-Soviet Saint Petersburg, as well as a list of the probable causes of the established situation. For the first time is submitted the systematization of various field of application of the competitive methods: the author determines the “strategic”, “developer”, “advertising” contests, as well as the competitions of ideas and foresights, nonpublic design contests (tenders), review and educational contests.