Moscow’s city centre concentrates most of the city’s social, economic, intellectual and cultural activity in only 6% of the administrative surface. Beyond this area, the city is determined by a high degree of mono-functionality, zoning and fragmentation. As a consequence Moscow’s centre and infrastructure are close to collapsing.

Our team states that a radical decentralisation of the city is indispensable and that centrally-located industrial areas have a huge potential for transformation into sub-centres. The ZIL site could become a pioneer for such an approach, open for experimentation and innovation. We provide a careful long-term development strategy that integrates the site with its immediate urban context as well as with the larger urban infrastructures of Moscow to initiate a heterogeneous transformation process. The design proposes to closely integrate transport as well as existing and new green infrastructures – such as the new Public Rail Ring, Moskva Riverfront, or a new self-maintaining Pine Park – within the territory. These new links create diverse neighbourhoods of different characters. Four strategies are provided: Multiple Accessibility, Active Landscape, Living Heritage and Varied Densification.