
Development and Urban Planning: How the Programme and Profession Are Evolving
The HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development has announced an update to its Bachelor’s programme in Urban Planning: as of 2026, it has been retitled Development and Urban Planning. Mariam Paskacheva, the programme’s Academic Supervisor, explained how the course is structured, why its development component is being strengthened, and what kind of applicants the programme is designed for.

‘Cities Are Key Actors of Interaction in the Global Arena’
The HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development (FURD) and India’s leading research centre, the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), have agreed to strengthen their partnership comprehensively in the study and analysis of urban development across BRICS countries. In addition, students and experts from Russia and India will take part in joint academic events and research projects.

International Dialogue on Urban Development: Dynamic Urbanism and Green Infrastructure
In September 2025, the HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development (FURD) hosted a delegation of leading scholars and urban development experts from China. Two seminars were held at the Shukhov Lab with the participation of Chinese colleagues: the first focused on green infrastructure, while the second explored the theme of dynamic urbanism. In addition, a meeting between the Chinese delegation and representatives of FURD took place at the university’s main building on Pokrovsky Bulvar. The participants discussed opportunities for expanding cooperation between universities and research centres.

Creative Solutions for Staritsa: HSE Art and Design School Master’s Students Upgrade Look of Ancient City
A fantastic bird at the entrance to ancient quarries, an exhibition hall by the ruins of a garment factory, and a pedestrian pontoon bridge over the Volga River are just some innovative ideas from master’s students of the Environment Design programme at the HSE Art and Design School, who presented their graduation projects to the local administration and developers in the city of Staritsa, Tver Region, on July 17.

HSE Art and Design School and Moscow City Tourism Committee: Global Talents in the Russian Capital
Two major projects have been launched as a result of collaboration between the HSE Art and Design School and the Moscow City Tourism Committee: the International Photo Exhibition for the BRICS Countries ‘Big Cities in Moscow’ and the International Competition of Short Videos about Cities, WOWMOSCOW, which was won by Takha Audyarahma from Indonesia. Her video will premiere on 24 August as part of the Moscow International Film Week programme.

Mongolia’s New Capital: FoURD Team Presents Master Plan in Finals of International Architectural Competition
During the finals of an international competition in Ulaanbaatar, the team from HSE University’s Faculty of Urban and Regional Development (FoURD) and Graduate School of Urbanism presented a master plan for the future capital of Mongolia—New Kharkhorum—to the country’s leadership and the international jury.

Moscow and St Petersburg Rank among Global Leaders in Spatial and Technological Development
HSE experts, in collaboration with researchers from China and India, have participated in the development of the Urban & Innovation Environment Index, a global ranking of cities. Moscow ranks fifth in the final global rating of urban agglomerations and first in the rating for those in BRICS+ countries. St Petersburg ranks seventh in the global rating and third in the BRICS+ rating.

Faculty of Urban and Regional Development Develops a Draft of a New Transport Scheme of Obninsk
On May 3rd, a briefing and presentation session of a project for the development of the city's transport scheme took place in the Obninsk administration. This large-scale project has been implemented by staff from the Institute of Transport Economics and Transport Policy Studies of the HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development.

What Makes Cities Attractive to Innovators?
How do we evaluate the contribution of innovations to urban development? Why do cities need innovation? How do cities attract top talents? These and many other questions were addressed by the participants of the international online discussion ‘Increasing the Innovation Attractiveness of Global Cities: Best Practices’ organised by the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (HSE ISSEK) on March 1, 2023. The event also featured the presentation of new outcomes of a global study on urban innovation carried out since 2020.

Card Index: City as a Palimpsest
Any cultural landscape is a narrative or a story. A big, modern city with its multiple contesting meanings and social practices, an ongoing dialogue of different eras, and physical spaces coexisting with imaginary ones can be compared to a complex, multi-layered text. A recent paper by Ivan Mitin, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Urban and Regional Development, portrays the big city as an enormous, continuously updated manuscript.

