The river valleys landscapes of Cheboksary play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance of the city. They are green spaces for recreational use and the main components of the green network: they connect the Cheboksary Bay with the green ring outside the city. River valleys have been greatly transformed as a result of urban growth, which leads to the degradation of the territory as a whole.

Project location: Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, Russia

Materials produced by: Anna Saveleva, Anastasia Kurakina 

Daria Stepatova (photography), Denis Kudryakov (visualizations)

The whole team includes specialists from different fields.

Project's social media: 

https://www.instagram.com/cheb_rivers/

https://vk.com/chebrivers

Many areas in planning documents contradict the value of the river valleys: extensive residential development and roads were planned. There is a high probability that these areas will be built up. Such activity will lead to the interruption of the natural areas and will significantly decrease their value.

Valleys are used by residents for recreation. These are local favourite spots and oases of wildlife. Several principles have been developed that reflect the common aspirations of developers, the city administration and its residents, taking into account the value of the local nature.

The most important goal is to set boundaries for public and private space. Based on the ecological value and current land use, more than 150 hectares of green space are set as public parkland. The area is stretched along the 3 main rivers of Cheboksary with corridors from 40 and up to 400 meters. Reserved space is filled with recreational activities, sports grounds, paths and untouched nature.

Three rivers are filled with points of attraction within the separate city and district parks. Areas in between are natural areas with paths and installations.

To cross a valley today, one needs to spend almost an hour travelling by public transport. New pedestrian and bike network provides better connectivity for city districts, which results in decreasing commute time by 2 for major routes if you walk or even more - by bike.

The scope of the project includes restoring the river ecosystems in their natural state: improving the drainage properties of the catchment, increasing the self-purification potential of aquatic ecosystems, and controlling the discharge of polluted waters.

Planting of the macrophytic plants is recommended, as it will help to reduce the concentration of pollutants remaining in the water runoff, and will also contribute to their retention.

During construction in valleys, it is unacceptable to ignore the existing water and natural assets - valuable components of the existing ecosystem. Straightening, canalizing, impermeable concrete embankments are to be avoided.

Areas for development were allocated. The proposed model of residential development include 3 basic typologies that can be mixed within the site. Based on the calculations, the low-storey housing is a priority. Near the city center, the site is to be redeveloped into a unique modern complex with water features and landscaping.

Nodal points in particular recreation and development areas were explored in detail.