Vision of the City

Skolkovo is more than a science or technology park: it is a full-fledged city, though it is a special city in which creativity is the rule rather than an exception; a prototype for the city of the future. The Innovation Centre plans to ensure optimal conditions for research and business as well as create a rich and aesthetically appealing urban environment that is equally convenient for both guests and residents. The city’s main backbone elements will be the University and the Technopark. Alongside them will be a Congress Centre, various office and laboratory buildings, apartment buildings, fitness centres and stores. Particular attention will be paid to parks and other public spaces. The layout of the Innovation Centre calls for housing to be built in close proximity to workplaces. Rail transport and well-planned road junctions will provide quick access – ranging from 30-40 minutes – to Moscow’s historical centre. The roughly 400-hectare territory in the Moscow Region’s Odintsovo District will house approximately 20,000 people, while the total number of employees will amount to 30,000 people taking into account commuters from Moscow and the surrounding region. The first facilities were built at the Innovation Centre in 2012, while the main construction program will be completed in 2017.

An Open City

Skolkovo is a city with an open code that aims to rebuild the surrounding world in accordance with its principles, a city organised for a wide variety of meetings that facilitates communication. Skolkovo will pay special attention to the areas of education, business and public housing, which creates new opportunities for the development of Moscow and the municipalities of the Moscow Region. The central zone, with its colourful architecture and unique opportunities for communication, attracts residents from the Moscow Region and western part of the capital. The city’s buildings serve as public spaces that are fully open to visitors and suited for different functions. Citizens and resident companies take active part in discussions on the urban development strategy and influence the decisions made by city managers using a range of public mechanisms. The city seeks to implement all modern solutions aimed at improving the urban environment on its territory. The urban planning innovations developed and put into practice in the city may be used by any municipality in the world.

Sustainable Development

Skolkovo is an energy efficient city with minimal or zero emissions of environmentally harmful substances that ensures the total recycling of household and municipal waste. At least 50% of the energy consumed by the city will come from renewable sources. The well-developed water system uses significantly less water by Russian standards without compromising comfort or hygiene. The transport system prioritises walking and cycling. The use of vehicles with internal combustion engines is prohibited in the city. Energy passive and active buildings that do not require energy from the outside and even produce more energy than they consume will be built at Skolkovo. Household and municipal waste will be disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way possible – the use of plasma incinerator technology.