urbandesign.lab

The city was never just buildings.

It was color. It was signage. It was storefronts. It was cars, crowds, neon, advertisements, materials, shadows, textures, and chaos.

Old cityscapes often carried a strong visual memory. McDonald’s had golden arches rising from the roof. Burger King had sculptural signs. Streets were layered with typography, color, and local energy.

Now, many urban spaces are becoming cleaner, flatter, safer, and more controlled. But somewhere between minimalism and standardization, cities may also be losing their personality.

This series looks at the shift from expressive urban character to contemporary neutrality.

Not every “then” was better. Not every “now” is worse.
But the question remains:
Are modern cities becoming more refined, or more forgettable?

Comment: THEN or NOW.

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Krasnaya Street is reimagined as a civic spine that reconnects village life with history, culture, commerce, and everyday public space.

Located in Izhevskoye village in the Ryazan region, the project restores the identity of Krasnaya Street as the central and historically significant street of the settlement. Rather than treating it as a transit corridor, the proposal transforms it into a recognizable place of attraction for residents, visitors, local businesses, and community life.

Developed by SOTA, the improvement strategy builds on the dense fabric of stone estate buildings, social facilities, commercial activity, and existing rural character. The project links street improvement, tourism development, resident-led initiatives, and public realm upgrades into one integrated framework, strengthening local identity while supporting the long-term cultural and economic potential of the village.

👥 Project By: SOTA
Alina Georgievskaya, Ushakova Ulyana, Victoria Eremeeva, Oksana Vasilyeva, Nikita Vorobyov, Daria Bondareva, Yuri Kulchitsky, Varvara Molodtsova, Igor Strikalov
Location: Izhevskoye Village, Ryazan Region
Design: November 2021 to May 2022
Implementation: 2022 to 2024
Total Area: 1.3 hectares
𝐔𝐃𝐋 𝐆𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬
𝐆𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 – 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐩, 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬

𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬: 𝟔𝐭𝐡-𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

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𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.
𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔


Krasnaya Street improvement, Izhevskoye village, Ryazan region public space, SOTA architecture, rural street design, public realm improvement, village identity, placemaking strategy, heritage street regeneration, tourism-oriented urban design, rural development, community-led public space

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