Strategic Consulting in City Planning

The market of consulting services in 2013 demonstrated a stable growth: according to the “Kommersant” Publishing House, the total market volume growth amounted to 10.9 %. The main growth driver is an increase of the monetary volume of IT-consulting segment business deals by 29.3 %, comparing to 2012. Strategic consulting remains a rare product in the structure of Russian market of consulting services — its share in 2013 did not exceed 4 % of the total income indicator of provision of the described services in Russia. By the way, in 2012 the share of strategic consulting was a little higher — about 5 %.

Strategic consulting differs from other kinds of consulting activities in an integrated approach to solving tasks, significant impact on the processes taking place in the object of consulting activity and primary orientation at working out a long-term object development strategy. The latter is, probably, a distinctive feature of strategic consulting — for the sake of which research and project processes are organized, systems of key performance indicators are developed, etc.

Strategic consulting services in planning of development of city territories in Russia are offered by various market players, including large international companies, having extensive experience in the field of process planning and support within the framework of urban development activities. The need in using a comprehensive approach to urban development is enshrined in the Federal Law “On public strategic planning” (20.06.2014) recently passed by the State Duma, in which the interrelation of strategies of territory social and economic development with urban development activities is emphasized. Within the framework of the document territory planning programs “reflect the social and economic development strategy of regions of the Russian Federation”.

Strategic consulting in urban development planning supports performing a number of tasks: from optimization of work with different institutions and supporting documentation to formulation of long-term development prospects for facilities and territories, taking into account social and economic dynamics of the resident population. In fact, strategic consulting syndicates a multitude of tasks, providing supervision over their implementation, and introduces required corrections in project implementation. Thus, activities on strategic consulting in the given field can serve for performing of different tasks — from development of programs directed at popularization of green areas as active recreation facilities within a city to a set of measures on improving safety of certain districts of residential areas.