Derbent is the oldest city in Russia, located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea in the Republic of Dagestan. In 2015, the city officially celebrated its 2000th anniversary, and its historic district with traditional architecture was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

Given the future changes associated with the rapid decline in the Caspian Sea level, we proposed a resilient concept that would enable the city to grow toward the sea rather than struggle against the receding water. This is the central idea of the vision — "return the sea to the city": not to perceive the falling sea level as a threat, but to use the emerging land as a resource for development.

The Derbent waterfront development strategy is built on five key directions: integrating the coastal area into the urban fabric; creating new pedestrian and transport routes connecting the embankment with the city; developing distinctive architectural landmarks; regenerating abandoned territories; and establishing regulations for existing buildings and new construction along the shoreline.

The revitalized shoreline is intended to improve the quality of life for residents while simultaneously boosting Derbent's investment appeal — we have embedded several specific mechanisms for this effect into the strategy. The landscape serves as a unifying element between the different zones of the waterfront, and the various routes engage different senses and user behavior scenarios.

Since the Caspian Sea level is declining at an uncertain rate, we have embedded not a single but a variable development scenario into the strategy. In 2022, the baseline project is being implemented — solutions that do not depend on external factors — while by 2027, as data accumulates, one of two scenarios will be selected for the period up to 2040.