“The master plan is a strategic document that determines the development of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk agglomeration and a number of other major cities in the Far East. The task of developing master plans for the cities of the Far East was assigned to us by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin at the Eastern Economic Forum. This task will remain one of the most important in the near future. First of all, it is not only and not so much about the development of master plans, but about their implementation. It is about modernization and restructuring of cities in the Far East into those where it is pleasant and comfortable to live. This is a big task that will take place in several phases,” Yuri Trutnev opened the event.
As the Governor of Sakhalin Region Valery Limarenko explained, the task of the agglomeration is to create a space for new opportunities in the region with advanced technologies. The prerequisites for this are dynamically developing oil and gas industry, complete gasification of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk agglomeration in 2025, availability of port and aviation infrastructure connected by rail and road. In the center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, a ski resort of the same name is being developed as part of the Mountain Air priority development area. One of the highest rates of commissioning of housing per capita and construction of social infrastructure facilities was recorded in Sakhalin Region.
The main task in the development of the first belt of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk agglomeration is the balanced placement of new economic clusters, the creation of high-paying jobs, the improvement of the quality of the urban environment, the construction of new housing complexes and the creation of modern public spaces.
The head of the region presented a revised program for the development of the metropolitan area. It envisages the implementation of over 75 investment projects in the oil and gas, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, construction, logistics and tourism sectors with a total investment volume of over 520 billion rubles by 2025. Their implementation will create 27,000 new jobs.
The meeting discussed the main measures for the development of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk agglomeration. These include the reconstruction of the Korsakov port. In the next three years it is planned to modernize the hydraulic structures and carry out dredging. Currently, work is underway to design berths that will become a center for processing and transshipment of fish products.
An important role in the development of the agglomeration is played by the creation of an air transport hub with developed passenger and cargo traffic and the construction of a logistics center.
Yuri Trutnev drew the attention of the region's leadership to the need of more actively involving the residents of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the development of the master plan. “We must take into account the interests of the people as much as possible. I ask Valery Igorevich and regional authorities to pay attention to even closer cooperation with residents. Such work was carried out in the framework of the development of master plans for the development of the area. But even now we need to more actively involve residents in joint work on how to make the city more comfortable and convenient”, he said.
Summarizing the results of the meeting, the deputy prime minister noted that “the master plan for the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk metropolitan area has a high degree of readiness.” “As with any product, there is still room for improvement. Moreover, I am sure that the master plan, which covers the period until 2030, will be added to during the implementation process. But basically, this is a product you can work with,” he concluded.