Model of urban identity of a Russian city through the example of Samara

Abstract

Abstract The paper touches upon the issue of designing something unique in a contemporary Russian city formed in the Soviet and post-Soviet period and with typical construction characteristics of those periods are dominant. The so-called “typicality” is the greatest problem of post-Soviet cities, which today need to redefine their significance and their material realization. A new urban identity can only be based on purposeful development and accentuation of the unique aspects existing in the space-time continuum. What we need here first is a holistic approach that can capture the complex urban structure in all its manifestations. In this research the authors introduce a model of urban identity, developed on the basis of five main contexts: geographical, functional, morphological, social and cultural. The paper analyses this model application to the specifics of the city of Samara which is a large Russian regional center. The choice of Samara is determined by its rich history and importance in the system of economic development of Russia. The proposed approach makes it possible to compare heterogeneous values and terms and synthesize the results. The superposition of contexts demonstrates overlaps, intersections, and divergences that make the potential for designing something unique. The obtained results make it possible for the researchers to highlight potential capacities of their solution and put forward recommendations on designing a historical city new identity.