OREANDA-NEWS. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko told to journalists that the urban environment quality index was calculated in Russia for the first time. The index was developed together with JSC Dom.rf and design bureau Strelka. The methodology for determining the quality of the urban environment includes an assessment of 36 indicators (six spaces and six criteria), including improvement of the territories, public transport, safety of roads and public spaces, social facilities and others.

“Today we publish this index for 1,114 cities. The cities are divided into several groups according to the level of interaction and number of population. Today’s index placed the cities according to certain criteria. Our goal is to improve the urban environment quality index by 30 % by 2024. We must also to transfer 50 % of cities from a category of unfavorable environment to a category of favorable,” the politician said.

Vladimir Yakushev, the head of the Russian Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities, said that according to the calculated index for 2018, 23 % of examined cities are recognized as settlements with a favorable environment. “We have 36 indicators for the index, the highest score that the city could gain is 360. If the city scores more than 180 points, it is recognized as a city with a favorable environment; if lower, there is an unfavorable environment. According to the results of 2018, this value was 23 %, 262 cities had gained it,” the minister said. He added that the average urban quality score for the country was 163. By 2024, this figure should grow to 212 points.

According to data published on the ministry website, Moscow with 276 points, Saint Petersburg with 238 and Yekaterinburg with 191 became the leaders in the category of cities located in a comfortable climate zone.