Abstract
The International Baikal Winter University of urban planning design was founded in 1999 at the Irkutsk National Research Technical University. Winter University is a workshop for senior students and young professionals in the field of modern urban development and solving urban problems. Problems of inefficiently used urban areas exist in every city. One of the main tasks of the Winter University is to attract senior students and young specialists to rethink the use of the city through project training. Participants bring unique experience from different countries, develop creative approaches to the development of project sites and present their findings to local experts and the international jury. Winter University has become the first urban development platform in Russia, created as a space for discussion about urban development, which includes experts and young professionals. The educational component is that the professional community stimulates and encourages new ideas and research on urban planning with the participation of young people. The first sessions were supported by Les Ateliers summer workshops and were held in English and French. Gradually, the methodology of the Winter University session has changed, adapting to modern requests for training and solving specific urban planning problems. The city of Irkutsk acts as a pilot territory for the development of modern principles and approaches to the city structure. At the moment, preparations are underway, the selection of topics and sites for the 22nd session of the Winter University. Irkutsk National Research Technical University and the city administration of Irkutsk are interested in holding the annual session. Irkutsk has been included in the list of cities that over the past 10 years have made a leap in urbanism, culture and quality of life according to the Forbes Life rating. Winter University became the cultural achievement of the city. The methodology of the Winter University session uses several methods for solving problems: field research, urban planning analysis, project training and brainstorming. Usually, the session is attended by about 30 people, 4-5 assistants and 1-2 scientific supervisors. Participants work for 21 days in teams of 5-7 people, present the project on two intermediate and final stages. The pace of work allows participants to delve into the problem and specifics of the territory, analyze the city, site, trends and requests, develop a development concept, complete a phased project and calculate implementation steps. During the work of our team of organizers, since 2017, more than a hundred young professionals and students, about 40 international experts have participated in project sessions. The work of international experts includes lectures on the topic of the session, conducting master classes and refereeing the final projects of teams. During the work of the four sessions, 17 urban development projects were transferred to the administration of the city of Irkutsk for further work. The Winter University design workshop has received several awards during this period: Bronze diploma of the festival “Architecture of Eastern Siberia-2017” and Silver diploma of the independent national architectural rating "Zolotaya Kapitel". Ten articles were published in the scientific journal “Izvestiya vuzov. Investitsii. Stroitelstvo. Nedvizhimost”, four publications in the magazine “Project Baikal”. For 21 years of holding sessions of the Winter University in Irkutsk, we can talk about the positive impact of this workshop on the urban planning community. The International Baikal Winter University of urban planning design combines several functions: an educational workshop, a form of international professional interaction, a platform for dialogue between the city, business and the University. The need for the existence of the Winter University consists in the search and development of new ideas that appear due to international collaboration.
