WITH its tree-lined boulevards Moscow's Bogorodskoye district is an island of calm in the clattering metropolis. Dmitri Pankov and Natalia Yakutova moved in a year ago, seeking fresh air for their young daughter and a place close to Mr Pankov's mother. The ample greenery and accessible transport also attracted Igor Popov, who bought a flat several years ago in one of the Soviet-era apartment blocks typical of the area. "You can hear the birds chirp," he grins. Late one evening in April they gathered with several dozen others to discuss how to save their beloved neighbourhood-not from creeping crime, but from the wrecking balls of city hall.
Earlier this year Moscow city authorities unveiled plans to demolish as many as 8,000 buildings and move up to 1.6m residents from ageing low-rise apartment blocks known as khrushchevki. The ambitious urban makeover could touch some 25m square metres of housing, cost at least 3.5 trillion roubles ($ 61bn), and run for more than 20 years. The plan is the brainchild of Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, and comes with the blessing of President Vladimir Putin...
The Economist: Europe
