2. Urban Planning Portfolio
Portfolio includes different types of Urban Planning projects highlighting
authors educational or professional background. Each of chosen projects
are addressed to show the abilities and knowledge of the author.
Thus the introduced projects are:
1. Master Thesis investigates problems of shrinking cities which is relevant
problem in different parts of the world. The project area was chosen city of
Goris, Republic of Armenia. Thesis is a detailed research of the region and
international experience based on which a strategy of sustainable revitalization
was developed.
2. Master Plan: shows a studio project for development of a small town in Italy
called Gaggiano. This studio project was done in 2014 during exchange
semester in Politechnico di Milano.
3. “RAO Mars” Free Economic Zone was realized in 2012 with the territory
of an abandoned factory, becoming authors first experience in creative reuse
of productive areas. Here author was taking part in negotiations, designing of
master plan and development of entrance. It is an unique example of Free
Economic Zone called “RAO Mars” opened for use starting from 2013.
Georgi Avetisyan - Architecture and Urban Planning
Member of Architectural Union of Republic of Armenia
from 2013
Msc Urban Agglomerations (Urban Sustainable Planning)
Frankfurt University of Applied Science, Frankfurt am Main Germany (2015)
Exchange seseter in Politechniko di Milano, Milan Italy (2014)
Master of Architeture (2006)
Yerevan state University of Architecture and Construction, Yerevan Armenia
Introduction
3. Master Thesis
Sustainability Vision for the City of Goris, Armenia
2.Ideas into
Practice
3.
Networking
and
Circulating
4.Platform
for Delivery
5.Market
and
Audiences
1.Idea
Generating
Capacity
Common Milieu for
GorisAdministrative Area
Creative
TouristicHealthy
Master Thesis, Urban Agglomerations, University of
Applied Science, Frankfurt am Main
Research Area for the Master Thesis was chosen the city
of Goris. It is located on the south part of Republic of
Armenia (RA), in province called Syunik (141,000 person),
about 235 km far from capital city Yerevan.
After the independence of RA (in 1991) the city faced
number of economic problems, subsequently it is declining.
During last 24 years it lost about 15%of population
(in 2011 about 20600). So the city needs a revitalization
strategy.
So the Research Question is: How to revitalize city
of Goris in Armenia through sustainable planning?
In order to answer the research question at first was done
a research of the city and its surroundings. This research
shows that the city is important transportation hub, it hosts
nationally important industry that is electricity production
(Hydroelectric power plant, 20% of national energy) and
medical centers that services all the province and NKR.
Meanwhile almost all the productive areas are abandoned.
The commercial activity is also in low level (empty
commercial spaces and high level of unemployment). The
city has also environmental problems because of lacking
waste and wastewater management. However
governmental and non-governmental sources are
highlighting the touristic and health care potentials of the
area. Based on the existing situation two best practices
were found.
Best Practice1: “Huddersfield Creative Town” is an example
of revitalization of a city that had lost its industrial power.
Here the local government organized a collaboration
between different social groups in order to generate ideas
of reusing these spaces and evolve these ideas in to
income generating mechanisms. The result was better
than expected, many ideas were developed in to creative
industries and nationally popular companies (TV channels,
recording offices or ateliers).
Best Practice 2: “Healthy Region” is located in South of
Germany, next to Nurnberg. A town called Hersbruck in
collaboration with surrounding villages created a “Healthy
Region”. This revitalization program was based on
collaboration of the existing factors that are:
1.Mobility- using a public transportation (bus, train)
connection with surrounding bigger cities (Nurnberg) plus
hiking and mountain biking routs in the nature around the
city.
2.Local culture- developing traditional food, agriculture,
crafts, hospitality and festivals. Also preserving vernacular
architecture and open public spaces.
3.Public-private partnership-creating collaboration between
government, health care companies, local farmers,
touristic organizations, existing hiking and mountain biking
infrastructure (natural environment)
Based on existing conditions of research area and
international experience a concept of revitalization was
created. This concept called “Common Milieu” is aimed on
creation of favorable conditions for developing the
potentials of the region. Thus favorable condition or
Common Milieu is based on developing Creative Society,
Tourism and Health Care institutions.
1.Creative Society: the city has many unused industrial
spaces with functioning infrastructure and economically
active society.
2.Touristic: the city and region has number of touristic
attractions, unique culture and architecture plus some
touristic infrastructure (under development).
3.Health Care: the region has favorable natural conditions
for health care and existing health care institutions
All these three milieus are supported by number of
common factors. These milieus can be developed
separately or in collaboration with each other. Thus the
development of these factors means number of
implementations in Transportation, Zoning, Public Space
& Environment, Social and Web & Media sectors.
Meanwhile before these implementations the city has to
create a new brand that will highlight the new directions of
the development. This is aimed on attracting new people
and giving a hint about a new king of urban environment.
So the development of mentioned sectors consists of
recommendations:
·Transportation sector is a creation of a Smart Bus system
that connects Yerevan, International Airport and areas of
province (cities and villages) with city of Goris. For this a
new central bus station must be created in the city of Goris.
Inside the region Smart Bus system will make a more
flexible system connecting city with surrounding villages
(all villages). Mountain biking treks and hiking routs has
to be installed in all the region and enter to the city.
·Zoning: is basically creation of detailed map (real-time
map) that will show the existing touristic attractions and
infrastructures, conditions of health care institutions,
local hospitality, and services, industrial and commercial
areas. This will highlight potentials of future development
of the area for each milieu.
·Public Space and Environment: must connect different
kind of milieus in the city by creating attractive open
spaces, cycling and walking infrastructure. Due to its
appropriate location inside the city the river can be
developed in to Waterfront Park connecting North-South.
Some streets in the city center can be changed in to
pedestrian ones.
Waste management: the city government has to stop
illegal garage droppings and start waste division.
Wastewater management: as the city government cannot
afford a standard waste water cleaning plant, some chip
and innovative solutions has to be realized. One of
solutions (chipset one) can be the creation of wetlands
that are cleaning wastewater by the natural vegetation.
Other solution is creation of Biogas plant which is cleaning
waste water and in the process of cleaning it is conserving
the bio gas. So the biogas can be sold either to national
energy provider, or to public transportation providers (the
public transport runs by natural gas).
·
Social Sector: Local government has to organize a
program for rising the social activity of citizens and
showing the importance of society in solving problems of
urban environment also run a program of developing a
creative society in order to use generated ideas for
redevelopment of empty industrial spaces.
·Web & Media: the city government wants to develop a
smart city in Goris. This can become a tool for reinforcing
the developments all the mentioned sectors. For example,
giving information about the area, developing Smart
transport, connecting it with the Smart city. Communal
Services and educations can also be improved through
this web content. Economic development can be
highlighted (detailed) in this web environment. Information
about possible usage of the empty industrial spaces as
well as about existing businesses or services can be
available in this portal. The Zoning map can be placed
and refreshed in this web page (used for business and
creative society). Local government must use this
opportunity to inform about their decisions and changes.
As well as for receiving feedbacks, opinions or complains
of residents (village or city). Thus the thesis is including
different kind of research and a strategy which is biased
on existing human and environmental “wealth”. It shows
that the answer of the research question is through
developing of: Transportation, Zoning, Public Spaces,
Waste and Waste water management, Social Sector,
Web & Media.
0.Stakholders,
local &
international
1. Generate
ideas and
projects
2. Ideas into
reality
3. Networking,
circulating,
marketing
4. Delivery
mechanisms
5. Market
and
Audiences
Cycle of Creativity for Huddersfield
Common milieu for Goris
Cycle of Creativity for Goris
Zonning and Public Space map of Goris
Map of Republic of Armenia
4. Master Plan
“Open Gate” Gaggiano near Milan, Italy
This project was done in Politechnico di Milano during
exchange semester in 2014. Chosen site was a small
town (about 8000 inhabitants) on south of Milan called
Gaggiano. The project had three main parts: research
of the area; development of a strategic plan and
implementationof the strategic plan.
During the research our group (4 students) highlighted
that the town was attractive for living but it had lack of
recreational and entertainment infrastructures.
The agricultural infrastructures are another asset for
economic growth. The road passing through connects
other cities with Milan. Also or group found many empty
warehouses (not operating) and green areas. According
to this we propose Gaggiano as a gate between
agriculture and cities around Gaggiano.
Thus, our strategy aimed at creating a new logistic
system for Gaggiano, connecting all agricultural assets
around the town; improving transportation system; making
Gaggiano an attractive recreational and entertainment
place for the region. In order to implement this strategy
several focus points were chosen. These points ought to
lead to further development according to our strategy.
We created new open spaces available for public
transportation, reorganized the landscape into green belt
in between agricultural land and town, connected this
open spaces and green belt by green corridors (pedestrian
and cycling paths). So the project intends to have a
square next to the channel, connected with green belt and
open spaces. This square will attract commercial activities
and investments due to new open market (mainly for
agricultural products), new transportation system and new
housing thus becoming the "Gate" between agriculture
and urban environment.
5. “RAO Mars” Free Economic Zone
Area Development Project “ RAO Mars”
Like many Post Soviet countries after demilition fo Soviet Uniojn in Armenia many abandoned
idustrial spaces has left. One of them was “Mars” factry in subarbes of Yerevan City. Some
areas of the factory were rented as a warehouse; others were closed. In 2012, through
collaboration between the Yerevan Computer Research & Development Institute (YCRDI),
OSC "Sitronics" (Russia), government of Armenia and the government of the Russian
Federation a project of transforming the factory into a Free Economic Zone (FEZ) was started.
FEZ means that everything produced inside the territory of "RAO Mars" is free of taxation.
Everything entering or coming out of this territory had to be checked that's why a customs
checkpoint was constructed next to the main entrance (also for trucks).
FEZ was opened in 2013 and currently houses different kinds of high technical and chemical
production sites.
My role in this project was negotiation with local government concerning reorganization and
further development of master plan. Also re-zoning of existing areas and designing of new
entrance with customs checkpoint.
This is an unique examples of creative use of old productive areas and a public-private
partnership. Being a pilot project FEZ can be considered as a model for similar areas in
and out of country.
Development Project
“RAO Mars” Free Economic Zone, Yervan Armenia
