Covid surge, repair boom and shortage of cars

Petersburg is seeing a sharp increase in the number of hospitalizations of patients with covid-19 . If on October 18, according to the press service of Smolny, 396 people with CORONAVIRUS were hospitalized in the city hospitals, then two days later the number of daily hospitalizations increased to 587. For comparison: a month ago in St. Petersburg, 200-350 people with covid were admitted to hospitals per day -nineteen.

“Not a city for skyscrapers”: does St. Petersburg need to grow up

In anticipation of the new General Plan of St. Petersburg (the document will be submitted for discussion before the end of the year), the Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Smolny (KGA) announced a new concept for the development of the city, which is based on the principle of transit-oriented development (TOD). The essence of the idea was explained by the specialists of the Japanese architectural bureau Nikken Sekkei - it is to create new development centers in the peripheral areas of the city. New centers are provided with the necessary transport, trade and recreational infrastructure. One of the main elements of the concept is high-rise construction, which attracts investors without threatening the historical part of the city. Japanese architects have implemented a number of similar projects in different parts of the world.

RBC Petersburg interviewed experts in the field of urban planning and urban studies and found out why the proposed idea cannot be fully implemented in St. Petersburg, and also asked them to name alternative options for the development of the city's periphery.

In St. Petersburg, there is a rush demand for housing repair services

From January to September 2021 in St. Petersburg, the demand for repair and construction services grew by 30% year-on-year. In two years, demand has almost doubled. Such observations were made by Avito Services analysts. Experts attribute the increased interest in renovations to the growing popularity of suburban housing during the pandemic.

In St. Petersburg, the number of people wishing to be vaccinated against coronavirus has sharply increased

After the decision of the city authorities to introduce QR codes in St. Petersburg for visiting public places, the number of people wishing to sign up for vaccination against COVID-19 has increased dramatically in the city. According to the press service of the city HEALTH committee, over the past day, the number of calls to line 122 from those wishing to sign up for vaccination has tripled compared to the average call. In total, on October 19, 4,738 people were initially vaccinated in the city (excluding vaccination by Sputnik Light), a day earlier - 1,766 people.