Smart Sustainable Development Laboratory opened at St Petersburg University

The research team of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University (GSOM SPbU), which forms the main expert staff of the Laboratory, is studying the reasons for the emigration of young people from monotowns and is developing a methodology for retaining and attracting personnel for backbone enterprises through human-centred development of the areas of presence.

The Laboratory focuses on the problems of small territories, monotowns and regions

Anastasia Golubeva, Associate Professor of St Petersburg University, Head of the Department of Public Administration and Academic Director of the bachelor’s programme "Public Administration" at GSOM SPbU, specialist in the digital transformation of public services, author of scholarly publications on the involvement of the population in urban development, was appointed as the Head of the Laboratory.

In 2023, St Petersburg University developed and tested the PUSK programme for the professional development of municipal management teams in the monotowns of Novotroitsk and Cherepovets.

"The local identity of the territory and the quality of urban life are gaining strategic importance for large companies and socially responsible business in general. However, from a managerial point of view, the investment of a Russian company in the development of a territory still involves many systemic risks that significantly reduce the effectiveness of such investments. Studying the causes and finding tools to change this situation is one of the main goals of Smart Sustainable Development Laboratory. Working closely with the Advisory Board of GSOM SPbU, we are aware of the current issues and agenda in urban development. Business is often quicker to respond to the existing problems of the territory," said Anastasia Golubeva, Head of Smart Sustainable Development Laboratory. She added that territorial management differs from business management in that it has a large, diversified pool of stakeholders, and the task of the Laboratory is to bring the interests and efforts of town managers and backbone enterprises to a common standard. 

Smart Sustainable Development Laboratory is already working with PJSC Severstal, Ural Steel, the Leningrad Region Centre of Excellence, and the Leningrad Region Committee for the Preservation of the Cultural Heritage. Academic partners include the Institute of Design and Urban Studies at ITMO University, the National Research University Higher School of Economics, and Moscow State University.

Smart Sustainable Development Laboratory (SSD LAB) is a project and research platform for integrated development of territories: districts, towns, and regions.

In 2024, as part of the Urbanist Summer School, students worked with GSOM SPbU professors and industry practitioners to develop conceptual master plans for the Bolshie Luchki District in the Leningrad Region. In 2023, they developed projects to increase the tourist attractiveness of Vyborg, Staraya Ladoga, and Shlisselburg. 

The Laboratory’s staff intend to continue with projects such as the Urbanist Summer School, Urbanist Day and the People About the Town lecture series. The Laboratory supports the People in the Town media channel on urbanism and is preparing the panel "Public sector issues: smart sustainable towns: challenges and opportunities" at the GSOM SPbU Research Conference ’Economics and Management’ (EMC). Its tasks also include: the introduction of practical cases into the academic programmes of GSOM SPbU; the participation in the organisation of internships for students interested in territorial management and urbanism; and the development of relevant and highly demanded topics for term projects and graduation projects.