Author(s)

IRINA TOPCHIY, ALINA FATKULLINA

Abstract

In modern theoretical and practical urban planning, the idea that the creation of conditions for the sustainable development of the human-made environment is solved by combining efforts of various social groups has taken root. The groups include city development planners, professional architects, urban planners and members of administrations and city residents. Architects believe that creation of public programs of additional architectural education devoted to sustainable development (energy conservation, landscaping, separate waste collection, etc.) is an effective way to popularize environmental initiatives. But do these subjects generate interest among members of the public of such a multinational megalopolis as Moscow? To answer this question, we carried out a sociological survey with participation of schoolchildren, students of the Moscow Institute of Architecture and the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute, teachers of the Moscow Architectural Institute and older residents of Moscow – participants of the Moscow Longevity Project. The survey results showed that the population of Moscow is nearly unaware of large-scale international and national environmental projects – the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Environmental Doctrine of the Russian Federation. At the same time, respondents are well informed about the existing environmental problems; they believe that it is the city administration that is responsible for them and are taking part in resolving the challenge. The main conclusion: when developing a strategy for public architectural education, one should use pedagogical methods and techniques that increase the degree of community commitment of participants, allowing for their age-related interests and financial incentives.

Keywords

additional architectural education, continuing education, sustainable development, sustainable development goals, environmental doctrine