In 2016, the IUE was deeply engaged in research and development work and practices with a focus on the main areas of its activity supported by the IUE Endowment - real estate market, urban economy and municipal economic development.
Key project outcomes, along with recommendations designed by the IUE’s experts, affect and address the most relevant issues of socio-economic development of Russian cities. These include, inter alia, such aspects as housing policy, redevelopment of built-up areas, investment in urban infrastructure, capital repairs, better transparency in municipal governance, urban agglomeration development.
The IUE Endowment was established in 2013. Formation of the IUE special-purpose capital became a landmark event for us. It has been used for to finance our research programs, as well as activities related to designing analytical, methodological and legal support components required for implementation of new mechanisms in the housing, utility, town planning and other areas.
REAL ESTATE MARKET DEPARTMENT
► THE CITY TO LIVE IN: Launching the Redevelopment of Dilapidated Residential Areas
The project aims at testing in pilot cities and promoting the widespread adoption of the innovative approaches on how to prepare, develop and manage the projects for development of built-up area based on economic and urban planning simulation techniques tailored to suit the projects’ objectives and in line with the IUE recommendations relating thereto.
► Rental Housing: the New Urban Economy and Housing Policy
An overview of the regional legal framework underpinning the development of rental housing as well as the analysis of specific regional programmes were conducted under the project. The typology of attractive rental markets and model projects was also developed. A concept of rental housing projects was designed to include the results of methodological support with town planning assessment and financial and economic appraisal of the projects, while also describing possible models for the financing of rental housing projects, in selected cities of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
URBAN ECONOMY DEPARTMENT
► Promoting a model for regional support of lending options for major overhaul in multi-unit residential buildings
In 2016, as part of the work financed through the IUE Endowment, a lending scheme for major overhaul in multi-unit residential buildings was designed. In 2016, further work was carried out to promote the lending scheme for major overhaul in multi-unit residential buildings with the funds intended for overhaul to be kept on special accounts. The efforts also focused on finalizing the arrangements for regional support of lending options for major overhaul in multi-unit residential buildings.
► Assessing public accessibility of information on water and wastewater public utilities to the benefit of investors
The purpose of the analysis was to assess the information made available to the public by municipal (or public) water and wastewater utilities and needed to investors in order to appraise investment potential of the utilities. Based on a specifically designed technique, public accessibility of the information was assessed and the rating of municipal (or public) water and wastewater utilities located in 25 regional capitals of RF was made.
► Guide for Consumers of Housing and Utility Services
In 2016, as part of the project, the IUE began its work towards the preparation of a Guide for Consumers of Housing and Utility Services. Materials on the issues of concern to consumers are arranged in a 'question & answer’ format. At present, the Guide covers 75 questions and answers. This year work continues on expanding its content in terms of the new and the most relevant subjects.
► Conceptual approaches to transforming a system of homeowners’ associations
The project seeks to encourage a deeper involvement of the owners of dwellings in multi-unit residential buildings in the decision-making process. The IUE experts designed conceptual approaches to transforming homeowners’ associations by way of restructuring the membership format of the association: from membership-based association of a part of the owners to membership-free association of the owners (as corporate association or unincorporated association).
MUNICIPAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
► Increased transparency in municipal governance
Recommendations for enhancing transparency in municipal governance (“Open Municipality”) were made within the framework of the project. The recommendations also deal with how to prepare materials for seminars to be held for local governments, and summarize the best international practices for ensuring better transparency in municipal governance.
► Preparing a set of indicators for assessing the development of urban agglomerations
The project aimed at analyzing the rating of municipal entities in order to identify the level of development of urban agglomerations. As a result, the concept of a set of indicators for assessment of urban agglomerations development was designed to reflect the intensity and quality of agglomeration processes. In this regard, specific statistical indicators have been proposed to be relied upon in assessing the level of development of urban agglomerations.
