The genesis and development of Irkutsk’s historic center over the course of four centuries — as the city’s and the region’s major public and business district — make it a unique place to visit. Beyond being the modern business hub, the historic center is a place of vibrant connections, where employees, residents, students, and tourists cross paths throughout the year, inspired by the atmosphere of the historic urban fabric.
In recent years, however, the historic center of this major Siberian city has faced increasing challenges: competitive pressure from peripheral commercial centers, a real estate crisis, and a decline in the overall quality and comfort of the urban environment. These circumstances call for a transformation of the historic city — in urban, landscape, and ecological terms — within the framework of sustainability. This implies a paradigm shift requiring a profound rethinking of the principles underlying the development of the historic center as a comfortable pedestrian environment, and the regeneration of the outdated urban model of the past century.
Irkutsk already has a modest example in the form of Uritskogo Street — a car-free pedestrian street approximately 400 meters long and 30 meters wide — which connects the central market with Karl Marx Street, representing the city’s first pedestrian zone.
In line with the concept of central streets, the remarkable riverside location of the historic city along the Angara River and its unique historical environment offer diverse opportunities for revitalization.
What values should guide projects for the future of the historic center?
How can this unique area be improved amid multiple environmental, economic, and social challenges? How can this multifunctional urban district be reintegrated into its exceptional natural setting? What programmatic and spatial model of the historic center corresponds to the 21st century? And how can the historic center — its key urban spaces — become a driving force for Irkutsk’s regeneration?