Purpose: The author's classification of open spaces of urban activity.

Research findings: Existing theories and concepts about urban space are studied and analyzed, modern global trends and approaches to the classification of urban spaces are identified, three city squares in Kazan are studied and analyzed.

Research implications: The compiled classification of architecture and urban planning can be used in urban planning of territories with new buildings when introducing spaces of urban activity.

Purpose: The aim of this work is to show how smart cities can drive the reorganization and efficiency of existing cities.

Design/methodology/approach: The paper describes modern achievements in the field of a smart city, the latest achievements of cities and technological solutions they introduce. The paper analyzes when and why this concept appears, development stages and prospects of this concept. The world problems of the urbanization process in new territories and ways to solve them.

Research findings: The paper considers relevant reports and studies highlighting the problems and solutions of urbanization and the ecological situation in cities, the negative impact on the environment.

Practical implications: One of the ways to solve such problems is the implementation of a set of solutions included in the smart city concept. How modern technological solutions and large data volume assist in the communal and economic resource management, overcome environmental challenges of today and make the city more accessible to its residents. How historical cities can actively integrate and improve urban environment with minimal intervention.

Originality/value: Attempts are made to answer whether cities need to become smart, what the consequences may be. As a consequence of emerging issues, many problem must be discussed in future research.

The standardized harmful effect of industrial production on buildings is one of the reasons for the plant withdrawal to the outskirts. The paper examines a particular case of renovation of the urban industrial area for residential commercial development. The energy consumption, environmental pollution, demographic burden, drains. and other indicators are analyzed. The calculation results show that restrained urban conditions can surpass the industrial in terms of the negative impact on the environment, and therefore renovation leads to an increase in resource consumption and deterioration of the environmental situation. Air monitoring data are used to confirm the correctness of the calculations.

The paper considers the urban development and reconstruction of industrial centers on the example of different cities. Design proposals are given for the renovation of the Russian factories and landscaping of industrial historic cities. Examples are given for the reconstruction of silk weaving enterprises near Moscow. Many factories are now in a derelict condition, and for the normal urban development need revitalization of enterprises and comprehensive improvement of adjacent areas. Thanks to the development of cloth production, small settlements in central Russia became industrial city-forming centers more than two hundred years ago. Small manufactories were transformed into large industrial complexes, and the unique exquisite fabrics surpassed the best European ones in price and quality. Russian fabrics were universally welcomed at international exhibitions, awarded with medals and long-term orders. Cities were growing, the economy was developing, housing construction helped to solve social problems, transportation and infrastructure of cities and settlements were developing. Early in the 21st century, glorious weaving factories became an integral part of historic cities, their decoration and pride. Architectural ensembles of industrial enterprises became not only monuments of the Russian cultural heritage, but also an important component of the Russian cities.

The problem of preservation of the historical and architectural environment in Russian cities is currently rather relevant. Research and popularization of the different architectural styles play an important role in preservation of the unique historical environment of the city. Architectural styles of buildings in Tyumen are from Siberian Baroque to large-scale buildings of neoclassicism, which is characteristic of the architecture of this period.

The paper describes the buildings the construction of which is financed by the merchants. The building architecture belongs to a particular stye typical for the period of Art Nouveau and neoclassicism. The architecture of Tyumen buildings is of regional color scheme represented by the decoration of window trimmers and other architectural details.

The research implications include a study of historical and modern photographs of buildings of various types, namely from educational institutions to residential buildings. The paper utilizes historical and archival and bibliographic data and field research.

Research findings: the significance of the studied buildings is preserved in the modern urban environment and architecture of Tyumen. At the turn of the 19–20th centuries and today, these objects retain their role in urban planning and function.

Purpose: The aim of this work is to describe the architecture of Minusinsk, a small Siberian town, in line with the interests of the local merchants. The paper is relevant because of the low level of knowledge of the historical and cultural heritage of small towns in Siberia and the problems of preserving their cultural heritage.

Methodology/approach: The related literature review, comparative analysis of the architecture and systems structural analysis of information. Theoretical works of scholars, historians and architects and the author’s literature and materials.

Practical implications: The obtained results can be used for preparation of lectures and reports on the history of Siberian architecture. Preservation and efficient use of merchant buildings will contribute to the improvement of the city status and the development of its tourist attractiveness.

Originality/value: The study of historical and cultural heritage of Minusinsk, a large merchant capital with mansion construction and industrial and commercial buildings.

Findings: Minusinsk is of great interest as a historical merchant city. In the old city, there are numerous wooden and brick buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They locate in central streets and squares of the old city and have specific appearance.

Purpose: Tree shaping catalog development of practical use: garden chair category; study of the ergonomic aspects of their design, calculation of the time for the formation of tree shaping objects with regard to the plant types. A deeper study of the formation of natural and artistic objects of architectural space, i.e., tree shaping.

Design/methodology/approach: Ergonomic analysis, analysis of woody plants compositions in tree shaping, visual-anthropometric analysis, modeling, comparative analysis.

Originality/value: 1. Proposed tree shaping catalogs in the category of garden chairs. These catalogs have no analogues in are Russia. 2. The selected woody plants of the West Siberian region, most adapted to humane correction of growth, with the ecological specification in accordance with the following parameters: gas resistance, growth rate, life cycle of a woody plant. 3. Diagrams are suggested for the garden chair dimensions (chair back height, seat width, chair leg height) depending on the woody plant (willow, Tatar maple, bird cherry).

Findings: Many identified aspects are can be used in tree shaping: compositional complexity of tree shaping, woody plant type, growth characteristics, and the growing conditions.

Practical implications: The obtained results can be used as in a deeper study of new approaches to the formation of open architectural spaces with plant materials.

The paper considers the problems of affordable housing market, construction quality improvement with the introduction of saving technologies, modern materials for comfortable living conditions for citizens through the housing policy to solve important socio-economic problems.

The aim of this work is to develop new regional programs for low-rise construction, which will contribute to an increase in the volume of low-rise construction under commission, improvement of quality and living conditions, compliance with the requirements for energy efficiency and accessibility in remote areas of specific climatic conditions for certain categories of citizens employed in socially significant industries.

The proposed approach to the regional program development of low-rise construction will increase its efficiency of regional strategic planning through the interaction between the subjects of the program implementation based on the formation of base and variable models of the business mechanism of low-rise construction. Using this approach, certain categories of citizens employed in socially significant industries will be provided with inexpensive, comfortable and energy-efficient houses in remote regions with specific climatic conditions.

One of the fundamental urban planning tasks is currently a study of the settlement system properties. In Russian and foreign historical and urban planning science, settlement is studied according to the hierarchical location of settlements. Small and medium-sized settlements are considered as elementary lower units of large cities, their structure and formation processes are not studied. Accordingly, they are rarely considered in elaborating strategic programs of the regional development. The paper proposes the urban retrospective method, which provides a deep and large-scale analysis of the settlement system in the coastal area of the Angara River.

Research is based on the cartographic sources developed by governmental institutions whose the activity depends on statistical data. Here belong Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Railways. The comparative analysis of the sources provides modeling and identification of the settlement system with respect to small settlements in the coastal area of the Angara River in different periods. Significant results include the quantitative data on small settlements, since they are not interesting to urban planners of today.

Purpose: Experimental determination of the response room function and its use to estimate the acoustic conditions in rooms with noncontinuous noise sources.

Methodology/approach: The detailed parameter calculation of noncontinuous sound fields using the response room function, which is the room response to pulse excitation. The response function can be calculated by analytical or numerical methods and by experimental measurements in production conditions the energy attenuation when a constant noise source is switched off.

Findings: Noncontinuous noise has a negative impact on health. The effective noise reduction is determined by the complete and accurate analysis of its energy parameters. The noncontinuous noise estimation based on equivalent levels does not meet the requirements, especially when pulsed noise sources are active. The experimental technique is proposed for the response function calculation and its use in evaluating the noise conditions in rooms with noncontinuous noise sources.

Practical implications: The experimental determination of the response function to pulse excitation allows studying the acoustic processes in rooms for the formation of noise conditions when analytical methods cannot be used. The experimentally obtained response function makes it possible to solve problems of changing the noise conditions in rooms with noncontinuous noise sources.

The analysis of the current methods and techniques of solving the problem of heat resistance of building envelopes with heat-conducting elements shows the solution of a onedimensional problem of heat resistance. One of the possible methods for determining the temperature fluctuation amplitude on the inner surface of the building envelopes with heatconducting elements is the modeling of non-stationary temperature conditions in the computer program. However, this solution causes great difficulties, as it transfers the specified calculation from engineering to scientific and cannot be recommended for practical application. The second method of solving this problem is the application of the convergence coefficient, which can be obtained empirically. The selection of the convergence coefficient allows for the influence of the heat-conducting elements on the weighted average surface temperature depending on the envelope configuration.

The structural analysis of the building envelopes and their impact on the averaged amplitude of oscillations on the inner surface are conducted. The arrangement of heat-conducting elements at the outer edge is characterized by a negligible influence of the vibration amplitude on the averaged amplitude over the structural surface. The arrangement of heat-conducting elements greatly affects the heat-conducting elements. According to the comparative analysis, the convergence coefficient is preferable in harmonics of the average temperature fluctuations on the inner surface.

Reinforced concrete beam with limited horizontal displacement on yielding supports under dynamic loading require considering the thrust response. The thrust presence significantly increases the beam strength and crack resistance. The use of yielding supports increases their energy intensity. The purpose of the paper is the experimental study of using yielding supports under the dynamic load conditions. The experimental results concern the reinforced concrete beam with yielding supports with a thrust under the dynamic load. The paper shows the effect from yielding supports on the strength, deformability, and crack resistance of reinforced concrete beams. The obtained results indicate to a positive effect form the use of yielding supports of the beam under the dynamic load.

Purpose: Improvement of the heat network testing and data collection methods. The analysis of heat losses, hydraulic resistance, and data processing. The testing methods are considered from the point of view of the data correctness obtained during the data collection.

Methodology: Heat network testing and the data processing analysis.

Findings: The paper determines the need to adjust the heat network testing methods for thermal and hydraulic losses.

Practical implications: The calculation inaccuracy is identified, and a set of measures is proposed to clarify the results obtained. The obtained data can be used to evaluate the heat network testing methods.

Value: Regulatory documents and engineering requirements for heat network testing of resource-supplying organizations are insufficient since they do not allow for the use of modern control methods and measuring equipment.

The paper describes the one-sided welding method for steel structures based on the rational choice of the inverse angle of butt-welded elements of Belgian steel for the manufacture of tank bottom elements of intended for phosphoric acid storage in a construction site. It is shown that the most expedient method for ensuring the design geometry of the tank with a minimum stress of 1.4507 of the material structure, is the bottom sheets preset for welding at a reverse angle of 12 degrees.

The proposed method improves the tank reliability for storing aggressive products, its trouble-free and technical safety during the operation. The need is shown for studying the replacement of imported steel by Russian steel to manufacture tanks from alternative nonmetallic materials.

Purpose: The aim of this work is facing ceramic brick production using glass and metallurgical wastes. Methodology: Compressive strength, density, water absorption testing. Findings: The facing ceramic specimens are obtained at a 1050 °C baking temperature by using a mixture consisting of 40 % clay and 60 % broken glass. The operating modes for the laboratory specimen fabrication are selected such that they possess 2064 kg/m3 density and 42.24 MPa compressive strength. The specimens are characterized by the formation of close pores.

Purpose: To study the intensity of binder aging in organo-mineral mixtures using electron paramagnetic resonance. The aging intensity of the organic binder is provided by its concentration in paramagnetic centers, since asphaltenes are almost one hundred percent of paramagnet concentration and indicate to the aging intensity of the petroleum dispersion system.

Approach: Dispersed reinforcement of substructures with chemical fibers made of spent sorbents containing a controlled amount of absorbed oil products allows to partially solve the problem of crack formation and fracture of road pavements designed in accordance with the regulatory documents.

Research implications: The service life of substructure made of dispersely reinforced organo-mineral mixtures reduces owing to organic binder aging, which begins at the stage of preparation of organo-mineral mixtures and continues during the substructure operation. Organic binder ageing results in the formation of solvation layers on the surface of mineral materials that become more viscous and brittle.

Findings: The substructure dispersed reinforcement with chemical fibers made of spent sorbents containing a controlled amount of absorbed oil products decreases the concentration of paramagnetic centers. This indicates to a decrease in the asphaltene concentration, thereby reducing the aging intensity of the oil dispersion system.

The problem of the inter-repair time of automobile roads in Russia can be solved by the reinforcing the subgrade soils with cement. Soil is a multicomponent system affecting the deformation and strength properties of the composition (cement and soil). The cement-soil composition has drawbacks, especially in seasonal freezing regions, which affects its durability.

In order to increase the composition efficiency, the Nicoflok polymer-mineral additive is used to strengthen subgrade with cement. However, the influence of the type regional and genetic soil on strength properties of the cement-soil + Nicoflok composition is yet studied.

The paper presents the factor analysis of the influence of soil genetics on the composition strength properties. The study of the multicomponent system includes the response surface of the soil genetics on the strength properties of the composition. Additional studies are required to move from the qualitative evaluation of the soil genetics on the composition (cement-soil + Nicoflok) to the quantitative evaluation. These studies must be carried out according to a single scheme, which regards the seasonal freezing of subgrade soils in the northern regions of European Russia and West Siberia.

Regulation of the dynamic properties of bridge spans is a priority field of this research, which solves the problem of increasing the obsolescence and physical periods of bridge structures manifested both at the design stage of the load redistribution in the load bearing and during long-term operation.

Over the past 40 years, technical bridge diagnostics has shown that the durability and safe long-term operation can be ensured by the improved calculations, operation and stress and strain control under the excess and over-calculated live loads.

The aim of this work is to control the dynamic deformation and amplitude-frequency characteristics of bridge spans under harmonic random (non-stationary) oscillations of the span-vehicle system due to changes in the energy and stress state of the structure. The dynamic behavior of the span-vehicle system is based on the control for the amplitude-frequency characteristics of random oscillations by averaged values, the required spectral density being provided.

The use of dynamic dampers for the system element control and the rigidity of junctions provide antiphase oscillations of the bridge span elements such as beams and decks, that leads to the unaccounted inertial forces.

Another important element of the joint work imbalance of the bridge span elements during the dynamic load, are various defects, both in the deck design and load-bearing elements. It is assumed that the deck is a transfer layer (element) of vibrations induced by a vehicle in the beams. It is shown that the control for the dynamic properties is required in the case of a coincidence between the vehicle and beam stiffness and mass at the center of the system rigidity.

The attention is paid to the conditions and dependencies between the dynamic load parameters and the stress-strain state of the bridge beams at the elastic and elastoplastic stages, with respect to the additional inertia of the system. This approach is the pilot in the Russian and foreign bridge construction in terms of experimental studies and testing of bridges for continuous random traffic.

The dynamic testing of bridge spans for random traffic flow contributes to the creation of vibration diagnostic express laboratories necessary for the operation and maintenance of bridges.