Protecting a legend while turning it into an accessible attraction

Chusovaya river masterplan – from wild nature to accessible destination

Location: Chusovaya river, Sverdlovsk Region, Russia
Client: Management company of the Tourism and Recreational Cluster “Gora Belaya”

Program: 70.000 ha masterplan, zoom in masterplans for key places

Belaya Mountain in Sverdlovsk region is turning into a major destination point – but how to attract visitors not only in the winter, but also in other seasons. The recreational cluster is being created to diversify touristic offers.

We were invited to develop an area within the cluster – around Chusovaya river to become the hub for multiple summer activities.

Chusovaya river is a legend of Russian development in the Ural mountains. Long time ago, before the railways, it used to be the key ‘road’ to transport all Russian metal from its vicinity to the central regions. The place is full of history and legends, but also is a unique natural environment.

Consequently the masterplan defines a network of new paths, connecting key places into touristic routes.

Within the area several villages will be improved with investment into infrastructure, info centers and accommodation facilities. In our plan, we identified the locations for this new investment. We looked at current centralities, special features and special sites of the villages. Focus of investment is not only to create benefits for tourists, but also for local population.

Stages:
2019 masterplan

Team:
MLA+: Yana Golubeva, Mikhail Stepura, Yaroslava Nesterenko, Darya Chetvernya, Evgeniya Pavlenko, Valeria Yudina, Yulia Drozd, Evreniy Balabanov, PROMKOD (Moscow)