Specifics of the Implementation of Architectural and Urban Utopias in the Large Regional Center of Russia (on the Example of Samara)

Abstract

Abstract The article is devoted to the problem of implementing the idea in architecture and urban planning. Historically, the construction of exemplary models of life was left to the utopian genre, as evidenced by countless models of ideal forms of social structure. Any urban development project explicitly or implicitly contains an element of utopia, the proportion of which varies depending on the goals and objectives of a specific example. In the presented study, for the first time in architectural scientific discourse, a set of key factors is formulated that determines the feasibility of a utopian model in non-capital cities of Russia. Since the large regional centers of Russia have a cultural, natural, mental and historical identity, they can become an experimental sites for testing the modern urban development strategy. On the example of the development of the city of Samara, a large regional center of Russia, the main causes are identified, and also features of the implementation of architectural and urban utopias are revealed. Chronologically, the study includes historical, industrial, and post-industrial periods. As a result of the study, a forecast is given on the application of modern urban planning concepts in Samara. The proposed conclusions can be recommended for further use in the conditions of the Samara region, and if adapted, for use in other regions of the country.