‘What would make you stay?’ Evert Verhagen speaks on transformation and urban regeneration in St.Petersburg.

Evert Verhagen, founder of ‘Creative Cities’, gives a lecture on 18 November 2015 in St.Petersburg on transformation and urban regeneration. The lecture is organised by the Street Art Museum and the Higher School of Economics and takes place in the framework of a visitor’s programme for Dutch experts in the field of architecture and urban planning of the Netherlands Consulate General and the Netherlands Institute in St.Petersburg.

Following the successful (re)development of the Westergasfabriekterrein in Amsterdam, Evert Verhagen founded Creative Cities (2006) and REUSE (2007). Creative Cities is specialized in the development of the creative economy and its effects on cities and regions. REUSE focusses on complex regeneration projects of former industrial or military sites. Verhagen is involved in different regeneration and public space projects in the Netherlands and throughout the world. Including Russia. During his talk in St.Petersburg Verhagen will discuss the main trends in migration and economy and give examples of important transformation projects around the globe.

Visitor’s programme:

The visitor’s programme for Dutch experts in the field of architecture and urban planning is initiated and organized by the Netherlands Consulate General St.Petersburg, in close cooperation with the Netherlands Institute. The programme aims to support already existing partnerships and to enable new cooperations between Dutch and Russian organizations and specialists. Fifteen prominent Dutch architects and urban planners, including Erick van Egeraat, Ruurd Gietema, Cees Donkers, Michiel van Iersel and Markus Appenzeller, visited St.Petersburg over the course of the year. Due to its success, the programme will be continued in 2016.

In establishing the programme and selecting Dutch specialists, the Consulate General worked closely together with Sreda Institute for Urban Development, European University St.Petersburg, ITMO University, Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, PROJECT BALTIA and PROEstate.

Strelka Talks:

In 2013 a similar programme was launched by the education team of Strelka, Institute for Media, Architecture and Design, under the title ‘Strelka Talks’. Over the academic year prominent speakers from various fields are invited to make a 30 minute video talk on critically important topics concerning contemporary cities and urban development.

The programme included talks of prominent Dutch architects, designers and researchers like Wouter Vanstiphout (co-founder of the Crimson Architectural Historians in Rotterdam), Michelle Provoost(co-founder of Crimson Architectural Historians and Director of the International New Town Institute (INTI) in Almere), Reinier de Graaf (architect and partner of architecture and design office OMA), Winy Maas (co-founder of the MVRDV studio) and Renny Ramakers (co-founder and creative director of design company Droog in Amsterdam). The videos are still available on the website of Strelka.

More information:

For more information about the lecture of Evert Verhagen in St.Petersburg, please check the website of the Netherlands Institute St.Petersburg.