Vyacheslav Glazychev. SPM, or Logic Lessons

SPM, or Logic Lessons
Vyacheslav Glazychev

Publication date: March 13, 2004

Today 's Moscow is a curious natural phenomenon. Precisely nature, because the laws of civilization have suspended their action here.

For example, the Muscovite authorities explain to the people why, unlike all other megacities, in the capital city housing is uncontrollably rushing upward. It turns out that Moscow has no other choice: there are no free sites for the victorious march of the construction complex. Unlike the ungrateful Chicagoans and other Parisians, the Muscovites voluntarily renounced the right to demand from the city authorities justification for anything, which - due to my inclination to reasoning - forces me to usurp the role of the people's tribune, which is not provided for by the Moscow Charter.

Well-read management does not guarantee grace. at one time So he read Voinovich and, apparently, saw in the elegant concept of the rings of hostility around Moskorep a model of the universe modeled after the Ptolemaic one. The Great Chinese Ring Road cut off the Muscovites from the rest of Russia, as a result of which the very idea of ​​​​the need to perceive other modes of existence is considered almost blasphemous.

If you're mega, you have to grow - that's a fact. They are growing, but none of the hyper-cities contains monsters like the Moscow construction complex, in relation to which the capital’s governor serves as CEO (Chief Executive Officer).

Several years ago, the idea of ​​uniting Moscow and the region into one federal subject was sluggishly discussed. Then they quit. It turns out that there seems to be only one alternative: either to unite or to isolate ourselves. Tertium non datur, and that's all. At the same time, the middle class, stunned by Moscow prices, discovered a non-existent third for itself, suddenly buying up housing under construction in Krasnogorsk, Odintsovo or even in Domodedovo. However, the CEOs there, in imitation of those in Moscow, managed to raise prices due to an allergy to dollar savings, so that the middle class again became like a reed shaken by the wind.

Some London, which is an association of municipalities, is, of course, not a model for us, but sometimes it’s still useful to look around. Let's say Toronto. Back in 1934, at the same time that Stalin’s master plan for the development of Moscow was being prepared for approval, the authorities of Toronto, together with fourteen surrounding municipalities, formed the world’s first Metropolitan Unit. There is the authority of Toronto, there is authority in each of the other municipalities, but there is also the elected authority of the Metropolitan, engaged in the strategic development of the overall urbanized area as a unity of natural and man-made landscape. A year ago, seven more municipalities became part of the Metropolitan. Metropolitan Toronto already has almost 7 million souls, and beyond the boundaries of the downtowns there is not a single residential building higher than five floors, which is both more comfortable and cheaper than houses burdened by excessive growth.

Of course, the logic of such a movement presupposes the development of the ability to negotiate civilly, the ability to build chains of compromises, the desire and ability to achieve the support of the population, parties, societies, federal authorities... everything that is characteristic of modern civilization. But we are children of nature, as we are convinced of by the serene functioning of the City Duma, which, due to the elevation of morals, is tempting to be called SPM - Senatus Populusque Moscoviensis.

On March 14, when Muscovites elect half (presumably no more) of the councilors of the completely disenfranchised district assemblies, the decisive victory of the kingdom of nature over civilization will be consolidated.