‘Combining Urban Studies and Development within One Programme Brings Tremendous Impact’
In late January 2026, HSE University hosted a discussion titled ‘Development and Urban Planning: Which Specialists Is the Market Waiting For?’ The event marked the launch of a new Bachelor’s programme in Development and Urban Planning created by the HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development in partnership with a consortium of developers, whose key members include MR and A101 Group.
The discussion opened with remarks by HSE Vice Rector Irina Martusevich. She noted that MR had given a decisive impetus to a new phase in the faculty’s development, ‘because it made it possible to realise opportunities that had previously been out of reach and to combine industry-specific knowledge with the faculty’s accumulated expertise in order to create a positive shift.’
Irina Martusevich also observed that the steps required to relaunch the educational programme were developed within a short period of time. ‘We expect our new partner to become deeply involved in the educational process, and together we will train strong professionals capable of developing territories and cities,’ she added.
Ruslan Goncharov, Head of the Vysokovsky Graduate School of Urbanism and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Urban and Regional Development, stressed the importance of distinguishing between the concepts of urban studies and urban planning. Urban studies, he explained, is an interdisciplinary framework. It is a system of coordinates that brings together economics, sociology, law, geography, and other disciplines, focusing specialists from different fields on the complex, interdisciplinary object that is the city.
Urban planning, by contrast, is a practical activity that integrates this knowledge into real processes of working with cities. ‘We regularly monitor the demand for graduates in urban planning, and more than 80% of them work directly with cities in their professional careers,’ said Ruslan Goncharov.
The Head of the Graduate School of Urbanism also noted that one of the leading employers in recent years has been the development sector. Development is the process of territorial growth in which the key focus is not a single construction project but a comprehensive scenario for spatial development—from the project’s concept and economic model to its phased implementation, integration into the urban environment and long-term sustainability. ‘In their search for product quality, development companies are increasingly engaging with the professional field of planners—from analysing the territorial context to working with the urban environment and local residents. This alone creates a solid foundation for a harmonious partnership,’ Ruslan Goncharov explained.
Dmitry Tsvetov, Development Director at A101 Group, highlighted the industry’s significant shortage of qualified personnel: ‘There is a lack of people working at the very beginning of comprehensive project design. A master plan can be commissioned in many places. But in our work, around 80% of our time is spent not on the master plan itself, but on the “master path”—understanding how that master plan should be brought from paper to reality: what the phasing should look like, when different functions should appear, and how to plan properly so that no blind spots emerge during construction.’
Dmitry Tsvetov added that working with students is inspiring, as they often bring a fresh perspective. ‘Both colleagues from HSE and the students are people who genuinely want to make the world around them a better place,’ he noted.
Maria Chernyakova, Partner at the development company MR, emphasised the uniqueness of the Faculty of Urban and Regional Development’s new educational programme: graduates who work on urban development strategy and master planning always think in business terms, because from their student days they understand that one cannot exist without the other. ‘Combining urban studies and development within one programme will bring a tremendous impact on the proper development of both the urban environment and business,’ she explained.
The Development and Urban Planning programme is designed as a five-year course of study. Graduates will receive degrees in Urban Planning. Programme partners intend to provide students with practical training placements, involve them in real working processes, invite talented students to join their companies, and support research activities. As a result, students will engage with real-world cases, and by the time they graduate they will already have substantial achievements in their portfolios.
The discussion also featured:
Mikhail Blinkin, Academic Supervisor of the HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development;
Artem Bortnevsky, Head of the Development track at the Development and Urban Planning programme;
Nadezhda Kosareva, President of the Institute for Urban Economics Foundation;
Oleg Baevskiy, Scientific Supervisor at the Development and Urban Planning Programme, HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development;
Ksenia Bazanchuk, Head of Educational Programmes and Urban Development Project Management at DOM.RF Foundation;
Mariam Paskacheva, Academic Supervisor of the Development and Urban Planning programme, HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development;
Petr Kudryavtsev, urbanist, sociologist, and founder of CM International.
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