Landscape Architecture Research

Green infrastructure implementation in historical

places. City center of Saint-Petersburg -Unesco city

Author: Evelina Saveleva

February 10,2023

Hochschule Weihenstephan - Triesdorf University of Applied Science

International Master program of landscape architecture
Declaration of Honour
„I declare that I have written this paper self dependently and without additional devices except
where indicated. I further declare that all citations and other authors’ thoughts are quoted completely
and correctly. I am aware that my work can be scanned with a plagiarism software and I agree to this
procedure.“

Place, Date Freising 9.02.2023

Evelina Saveleva

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CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... 4
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 4
METHOD OF STUDY ......................................................................................................................... 5
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................ 5
POTENTIAL ........................................................................................................................................ 8
IDENTIFYING BAROQUE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. SAINT-PETERSBURG ........... 9
GREEN ROAD ELEMENTS ............................................................................................................. 11
REDUCING TRAFFIC LINES AND INREASING GREEN PEDESTRIAN SPACE..................... 12
GREENING CONCRETE SQUEARS............................................................................................... 13
TYPOLOGIES OF IMPLEMENTING GREEN INFRUSTRUCTURES......................................... 15
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 16
FIGUERS............................................................................................................................................ 17
REFERENCING ................................................................................................................................. 17

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ABSTRACT

The city on the Neva, the masterpiece of Peter the Great. Historically one of the most
strategically significant ports, today it is a point of attraction for millions of tourists every year. Tourists
are fascinated by its architecture, canals, and European atmosphere. However, is this city comfortable for
locals? Are the locals satisfied with the quality of life that is provided by the environment in this city?

Unfortunately, the historic center of St. Petersburg is currently experiencing difficulties with the
introduction of green infrastructure. Undeveloped land has been converted into parking lots and
driveways. Investors use green spaces for construction. As a result, the strict rules of monument
protection reject any proposal to introduce plants into the historical environment. Various factors, such
as air pollution, dust, the heat island effect, and others, affect the quality of life in the central district of
Saint Petersburg.

This paper provides an answer on question, how can landscape architects apply vegetation in
historical cities with strict preservation regulations? All existing conditions were considered and
typologies of vegetation implementation were proposed.

INTRODUCTION
The city of Saint-Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great. Having recaptured the
territory from the Swedish settlement, Peter the Great began to build a city that was destined to become a
window to Europe. From this point on, the history of St. Petersburg began. The city has a myriad of stories
that range from turning points in the history of the entire Russian Empire such as the Revolution of 1905
and the Russian Civil War. Between 1712 and 1918, the city was the capital of the Russian Empire. St.
Petersburg is an inspiring city for poets, artists and writers. (History of saint petersburg - past, present and
future)

However, the city is currently unsuited to the lifestyle of modern society. The historic center is
now congested with cars and the city has become pedestrian-unfriendly. And the complex structure of
monument protection takes care to reject all possible proposals for the introduction of vegetation. Is this
what Peter the First wanted for future generations?

This article aims to answer the following question: How can landscape architects apply vegetation
in historical cities with strict preservation regulations? Is it possible to develop a toolbox to deal with this
scenario?

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METHOD OF STUDY
Research for this paper was conducted using a design approach. A qualitative analysis of the city
was made by the comparison of pictures, understandings of monument preservation by the study of
scientific articles. Moreover, in this paper, the author aims to answer questions about how vegetation can
be introduced in an impermeable historically preserved city by creating a series of critical prototypes that
came up as a result of the analysis.

Pictures Analysis
Although, in order to determine the loss of trees in the urban environment, an analysis of
photographs of the same place with a decades-long interval was conducted. Russian social media
VKontakte group “Trees of St. Petersburg”, provided various photos of the same location, several decades
apart. Based on comparisons of these photos, the loss of green infrastructure in the city is evident.

Scientific articles
Research articles were chosen on the theme of the impact of urban environments on human health,
addressing in particular how green infrastructure is able to provide citizens with ecosystem services, water
management, biodiversity, and reduction of noise and air pollution. Additionally, in an effort to gain a
deeper understanding of the historical context, the basic stylistic techniques of the Baroque garden were
studied. This was followed by an analysis of the Summer Garden's planning structure. Furthermore,
European experiences with similar spaces have been analyzed.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Also known as ‘Venice of the North’, conquered by Peter the Great Saint Petersburg was the first
Russian site registered in the UNESCO List. Developed with the help of numerous European architects,
the Historic Center of St. Petersburg met the 4 criteria of UNESCO 1. The following figure illustrates the
boundaries of the entire center, which covers an area of over 23 thousand hectares. Meanwhile, the
territory of the Historical city is 3,934 thousand hectares. (UNESCO, 2013).

1
Available at: < https://www.passporthealthglobal.com/2018/05/how-to-become-a-unesco-world-heritage-
site/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CTo%20bear%20a%20unique%20or,s)%20in%20human%20history.%E2%80%9D >

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Figure 1: A map showing the boundaries of the Historical City of St. Petersburg (UNESCO, Historic Centre of Saint
Petersburg and related groups of monuments, 2013).

At present, the historical site has a complex preservation structure, monitored by several
institutions, globally, regionally, and locally. This complex structure of preservation includes Unesco and
Icomos itself. On a regional level, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation is regulated by the
Law of the Russian Federation No. 73-FZ of June 25, 2002. The most meaningful

In Saint-Petersburg, all monuments are managed by an official committee overseen by the city,
KGIOP, following the Venice Charter guidelines. The hierarchy is displayed in figure 2.

Figure 2 : scheme showing the hierarchy of monument

preservation.

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 Figure 3 : description of the characteristics of the monument to be preserved.

Figure 3 presents a description of the characteristics of the monument to be preserved. The graphic
representation has been developed on the basis of the Federal Law No. 73-FZ "On Objects of Cultural
Heritage of the Nations of the Russian Federation".

Using this structure, the city has a problem introducing trees and vegetation into its urban historical
center. The region lost the green coverage over time, and the problem of bringing it back has not been
solved. Nonetheless, green infrastructure plays a significant role in the urban environment, as it affects the
quality of life, climate conditions, and aesthetics.

It is possible to understand the potential of the implementation of green infrastructure in Saint-

Petersburg by comparing the picture of few decades apart (Figure 4,5,6,7). In overall statistics, the index
of availability of green areas in St. Petersburg is calculated as follows in the central district - 6 sq.m.

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 Figure 7 : Ligovsky Prospekt Улицы (no
date) VK. Available at: https://vk.com/photo-
166653806_456239158

Comprehending the current situation of the city, this article aims to answer the following
question: How landscape architects can apply vegetation in historical cities with strict preservation
regulations? It is quite essential to respect and honor the historical heritage. Yet, the urban
configuration must be adapted to the current reality in which climate disasters are quietly frequent and
it is fully rational to the re-permeabilization the soil and increases the amount of green area.

POTENTIAL
The green potential of St. Petersburg is a great potential of the city, which at the moment is not
fully realized. This is the potential that is one of the most important parts of the image of St. Petersburg.
Landscapes and regular parks, gardens, and squares are an invaluable layer of the city’s culture. With
the development of transport infrastructure, the theme of landscaping started to recede into the
background. However, from 1927-1941, Leningrad was the capital of gardening.

Leningrad became the capital of landscaping: specialists were nurtured here, and international
conferences on the effect of trees on health were held. (Vaytens & Yankovskaya, 2018). Nevertheless,
we can see how over the past 30 years, landscaping has ceased to be a significant issue for the city.
Green infrastructure is just as important as gray and social infrastructure.

The dramatic loss of trees in the central part of Saint-Petersburg contributes to the Urban Heat
Island Effect. Specifically, Gorshkov et al., 2022, show that the temperature increased by
approximately 5 degrees from 1743 to 2018. This increase in average temperature increases air
pollution due to the disruption of wind patterns and the ability to carry harmful substances, increases

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energy consumption, and threatens human health. By statistics from Greenpeace around 77% of
citizens are dissatisfied with the quality of the air (Fomin, 2019). The World Health Organization has
described two theories of the impact of nature on human health: The theory of physical-psychological
stress reduction and the Sensory Discharge Theory (Urban Green Spaces and Health: A review of
evidence 2016).

Moreover, the drainage system is unable to absorb that volume of water, which comes during
the rainy season. Flooded streets damage the city’s infrastructure and cause traffic congestion.
Permeable surfaces can be used for water management: on the streets, squares, and roads: paving
stones, porous concrete or asphalt, or compacted sand; - Biocanals for sewage disposal: vegetated
strips with natural filters along the edges of streets and roads; - Rain gardens; - Green roofs; (World
Bank, 2021).

According to itreetools one tree can reduce a company’s electricity consumption by 100 kW
per year and decrease CO2 emissions from a coal plant by 200 pounds per year. In 2019, Amsterdam
calculated that trees in the city absorb 340,000 kg each year, which reduces health care costs by 15
million euros (Networknature, 2022).

IDENTIFYING BAROQUE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. SAINT-

PETERSBURG
The Italian artist, writer and architect Leon Battista Alberti in the 15th century proposed the
creation of the house and garden as a shelter from the chaos of the outside world, using architectural
forms, geometric chambers and passageways. This idea became a new inspiration for architects, and
from the late 15th century the Renaissance period was changed to the Baroque period. (Baroque
garden).

Various well-known architects as Rastrelli, Vallin de la Mothe, Cameron, Rinaldi, Rossi,

Montferrand, and others designed ensembles in Saint Petersburg and the surrounding area that had a
significant impact on the development of architecture and monumental arts in Russia and Finland in
the 18th and 19th centuries. (UNESCO, 2013) The French vision of baroque influenced the formation
of the city of St. Petersburg and the gardens were not spared. Analysis of the structure shown on Figure
8. For this analysis was taken the first planof the Summer garden, located on the Lebyazhey Kanavka
embankment in St. Petersburg, landscape Architect-Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond. Clearly seen,
that Baroque style, has a linea element which breaks through the vegetation and forms symmetrical
blocks of plantings. Main feature of Baroque gardens- axis which starting from grand entrance of

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palace and goes till the end of garden. This axis supported by fountains each 10-15 meters
approximately. (Sellers, 2003)

Based on this analysis and the history of St. Petersburg, it is crucial to consider the uniqueness
and character ofthe city upon the introduction of green infrastructure. The plantings should not block
the viewpoints of the monument and emphasize the architecture of the historic city.

Figure 8
analysis of
Summer
garden.
Landscape
architect
Jean-
Baptiste
Alexandre
Le Blond

Back to European experience in the 2000-2004 year in Germany, Kassel city was realized a
project of renovation of the inner-city baroque square. The project proposal of implementing green
structures underlines the existing historical layout. (Figure 9) As a consequence of this analysis,it is
very important to adhere to the existing architectural style and use the lineelement in the design of
green areas.
Figure 9 analysis of restoration of the inner-city
baroque square in Kassel, Germany

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 GREEN ROAD ELEMENTS
St. Petersburg is currently a heavy load on the roads, which has a significant impact on human
health. The air is particularly polluted in cities. The best-known pollutants are suspended particles
PM10 and PM2.5. The lower index means the maximum particle diameter in µg. Sources of pollution
are transport, industries and the process of degradation of the road sur- face. These and other pollutants
cause circulatory system and upper respiratory tract diseases, leading to premature death. (National
Center for Environmental Health, 2022) Also, the increased dustiness of sidewalks and the air
increases the strain on the sewer system, and water drains poorly from the roads. In the spring, dust-
carrying winds reduce visibility on city highways and increase the number of traffic accidents.

Moreover, the cost of dust remove increases the burden on the city budget. However, the city
has great potential to improve the area. Improvements can be made by landscaping the streetcar tracks,
nearby pedestrian roads, and squares.

Implementing Vegetation Systems in Tram Tracks having a lot of advantages in hand-book

TRACK GREENING invented by members of Green Track Network assumed a pile benefits from
having this tool in urban environment from climate adaptation to visual aesthetics.
(Grüngleisnetzwerk, 2016). For inventing these sketches I took an area on Vasilievsky island, map
showed on figure 9. This area having peak hours and narrow pedestrian walk- ways, on which the
introduction of vegetation is challenging. Therefore, the greening of streetcar tracks will be a helpful
instrument for maintaining a healthy urban environment.

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 It should also be noted that other areas of the ground surface, such as roadsides, provide
important opportunities for green infrastructure tools to be used to help reduce peak flows and enhance
the value of hardscape-dominated areas. Furthermore, it is also imperative to note that other land
surfaces, such as dividing strips and road islands, potentially offer significant opportunities for the
development and use of green infrastructure tools. By introducing vegetation, these elements can
provide more than the function of reducing peak flows. They can also increase the value of an area.
(Dreiseitl et al., 2016)

Another element which showed on figure 13 and 14 it is separating islands on the road, the
surfaces of those are also suitable for landscaping.

REDUCING TRAFFIC LINES AND INREASING GREEN PEDESTRIAN

SPACE
Traffic in Saint-Petersburg increased in 2021, according to TomTom traffic statistics.
(Tomtom, 2021). Additionally, the city has large car roads, each with 3-4 lanes in both directions.
(Figure 14) The fundamental law of road congestion from two economists Matthew Turner of the
University of Toronto and Gilles Duranton of the University of Pennsylvania who investigated in
their research, is that if a city improved its road capacity by 10%, the volume of driving in that city
grew by 10%. (Duranton & Turner, 2009) This proves the fact that society adapts and adjusts to
environmental conditions.

Figure 15 Nevsky prospect before reducing car lines

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 Another option for creating green infrastructure in the center of St. Petersburg is to reduce the
number of traffic lanes in favor of pedestrian and green space. This will allow the city to breathe and
become more human-friendly. Structures for tree implementation should be in accordance with the
Baroque style and structured according to architecture. In order to not cover the aesthetics of
architecture, trees should not exceed 6 meters in height. However, they should create shade, reduce
noise from the road and improve air condition

Figure 16 Nevsky prospect after reducing car lines

Figure 16 shows how the reduction of car lines could look like. The pedestrian sidewalk and
green line can be divided by 3 meters.

GREENING CONCRETE SQUEARS

An area near Gorkovskaya subway station was chosen for this proposal. On
Kamenoostrovsky Prospect, there is a square that has a number of problems. In the square, there is
parking on the side of the store and on the side of the street, there is open soil without any planting
in the concrete tubs, and there is no shade.

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 Despite the fact that there are still containers for planting plants, they are not used as
intended. In this proposal, the author proposes to extend the originally conceived pattern and build
a circular composition next to the decorative pond. Thus, reducing the coverage and the heat island
effect. And the parking around it does not provide a protected space from the urban environment at
all.

For the next idea, author chose the heart of the monument- Palace square. (Figure 20) As was
already mentioned, the boundaries of the entire object cover an area of over 3,934 ha, while the
palace square covers 5 ha and is covered with marble and does not have any green infrastructure.
(UNESCO, 2012)

Figure 20 Palace
square

Figure 21
Palace square
tree
implementation
suggestion

The basic characteristics of the Baroque style were used for this proposal. Tree-lined alleys

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emphasize the existing form of the paving pattern. The form of the paving, in turn, emphasizes the
architecture of the building. Aside from this, the connection between the square and the outside area
has not been ignored, and the main visual axis of the space with the dominant feature of the square,
the column, has been retained.

TYPOLOGIES OF IMPLEMENTING GREEN INFRUSTRUCTURES

In addition to the techniques described above, a set of typologies on figure 22 was developed.
Work with sealed spaces was identified by taking steps to unseal them and introduce greenery. The
following schemes shows that it is possible significantly increase the amount of greenery in the city
by doing so.

Empty lawns (add volume - shrubs and trees)

Green roofs

Streets (reducing lane width/parking in favor

of landscaping)

The street stripe by the building and the front

garden by the porch of the house

Green walls

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The dividing line between the lanes of the
road

Squares

Figure 22: Set of typologies

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Thus, this article leads us to the conclusion that it is possible to re-implement green
infrastructure in the city, in way it co-exist with the historical heritage. Moreover, the questions
presented in the introduction: How can landscape architects apply vegetation in historical cities with
strict preservation regulations? Is it possible to develop a toolbox to deal with this scenario?

Could be answered by the creation of different design propositions. However, it is pertinent to

note that in addition to the introduction of green infrastructure, the city lacks a strategy for the
development of landscapes. In addition, it is imperative to introduce excursion routes, quest games,
and various kinds of workshops. These turn the heads of the average resident to the problem of the
lack of trees, thereby increasing awareness and causing a slow adaptation to the reduction in traffic.

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 FIGUERS
Figure 1: A map showing the boundaries of the Historical City of St. Petersburg (UNESCO, Historic Centre of Saint
Petersburg and related groups of monuments,2013)…………………………………………………………………… 4

Figure 2 : scheme showing the hierarchy of monument preservation …………………………………………………5

Figure 3 : description of the characteristics of the monument to be preserved………………………………………..7

Figure 4 : Griboyedov Canal Embankment at the Lion’s Bridge Набережные (no date) VK. Набережные (no date) VK.
Available at: https://vk.com/photo-166653806_456239048 (Accessed: February 9, 2023). …………………………….7

Figure 5 : Griboyedov Karpovka River Embankment Bridge Набережные (no date) VK. Available at: https://vk.com/photo-
166653806_456239048 (Accessed: February 9, 2023). ………………………………………………………………………7

Figure 6 : 2nd VO line Улицы (no date) VK. Available at: https://vk.com/photo-166653806_456239248, (Accessed: February 9,
2023) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Figure 7 : Ligovsky Prospekt Улицы (no date) VK. Available at: https://vk.com/photo-166653806_456239158 (Accessed: February 9,
2023) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8

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Baroque garden (no date) HiSoUR. Available at: https://www.hisour.com/baroque-garden-7869/

(Accessed: January 12, 2023).

“A catalogue of nature-based solutions for Urban Resilience” (2021) World Bank [Preprint].
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Centre, U.N.E.S.C.O.W.H. (no date) Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and related groups of
monuments, Maps - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Available at:
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/540/maps/ (Accessed: February 9, 2023).

Dreiseitl, H. et al. (2016) RAMBOLL.COM. Available at: www.ramboll.com/LCL (Accessed:

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Duranton, G. and Turner, M.A. (2009) The Fundamental Law of road congestion: Evidence from US
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Fomin, K. (2019) How Russian cities are cleaning up their Air, Greenpeace International. Available
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Gorshkov, A., Vatin, N. and Rymkevich, P. (2022) Figure 6 from climate change and the thermal
island effect in the million-plus city: Semantic scholar, Figure 6 from Climate change and the
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Grüngleisnetzwerk (2016) Handbook track greening design, implementation, maintenance.

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Urban Green Spaces and Health: A review of evidence (2016). Copenhagen: World Health
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Vaytens, A. and Yankovskaya, Y. (2018) “Saint-Petersburg landscape scenarios and green

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