From genplan to master plan: the changing urban planning paradigm in Russia

Territory, Politics, Governance. 2025. Vol. 13. No. 4. P. 468–487.

Borushkina S., Gorodnichev A.

This paper discusses the recent introduction of master plans in the Russian system of urban planning which
signals the emergence of a new urban planning paradigm. An ongoing paradigm shift is traced through the
evolution of three major planning instruments: the socialist genplan, the post-socialist genplan and the
contemporary masterplan. The results show that the inefficiencies of post-socialist urban planning were
due to the deliberate actions of elites, whose rent-seeking goals required the possibility of direct
intervention, more centralised decision-making and direct translation of government priorities into the
spatial development of cities. The post-socialist genplan fails to address changing policy goals, while the
spectacular and non-binding master plan better suits the authoritarian model of governance in Russia.

Keywords: Russia, post-socialist cities, urban planning, urban governance, Authoritarian urbanism