Marina Sapunova
urban planner and a PhD student at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
co-founder and screenwriter of the MÊTRE documentary project
As a research assistant at the cities.building.culture project (2021-2024), I study post-socialist spatial transformations of residential districts, with a particular focus on property issues. My background in urban planning revolves around large-scale development projects and strategic planning, where I've collaborated with cross-disciplinary teams between 2011 and 2021. Additionally, I have experience teaching courses in urban planning and developing curricula for such classes.
This intersection of planning practice and education led me to co-found MÊTRE—an investigative documentary project exploring housing and urban regeneration. I believe that utilising documentary methods to research urban spaces is integral to urban planning education, as it allows for a more profound understanding of the complexities involved.
Currently, I am a PhD candidate at the KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Faculty of Architecture Chair for International Urban Planning and Design Institute of City and Landscape Planning. My research interests include urban and property governance, housing policy, and land-use regulation.
Publications
Sapunova, M., & Borushkina, S. (2023). Utilitarian heritage: Questioning current Debate on Socialist Mass Housing in Moldova, Armenia, and Uzbekistan. Docomomo Journal, (68), 46-54. doi
Audio lecture series: How to dream up a city (2022) as a part of a collaboration between HSE GSU and Arzamas.academy
Erofeev, N., & Sapunova, M. (2020). Urban Standard and Norm and Their (Post)-Socialist Transformation. Urban Studies and Practices, 3(4), 7–11. doi
Deutinger, T., Sapunova, M., Wicks, E., Salimgareeva, M., Zarudnaya, E., Sveisbergs, E., Burvall, A., Roche, D., Koroleva, L., & Volyanskiy, I. (2017). Research Notes. Learning from Shabolovka. Urban Studies and Practices, 1(3), 86–101. doi
Documentary
2023 | A two-way process, 2nd Spotlight Summer School in Budapest
2020 | COVID1917: between social compression and social isolation, production: MÊTRE for the public program of Milan Triennale, 2020, section Città Ex Post curated by Bogdan Peric and “untitled architecture”
2019 | MÊTRE interview fot the All Things Urban
2018 | Benefit of the Doubt, Nominee 2018 for MegaCities ShortDoc Competition
2018 | A Room in Moscow, production: MÊTRE
2017 | Maison d être, production: MÊTRE
Education & Training
2011–2013 Master's Degree in Urban Development Management | HSE Graduate School of Urbanism | Moscow, Russia
2005–2011 Bachelor+2 in Architecture | Vladimir State University | Vladimir, Russia
2020 (online) Visual Anthropology and the City led by Dr Barbara Knorpp | Open City Docs, UCL
2020 8th Winter School on Research Methodology | Urban Studies and Spatial Planning: Research, Approaches and Methods, promoted by Università degli Studi di Firenze
2019 Summer School on Urban Research | History Takes Place - Dynamics of Urban Change, ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius
2018 Postgrad Training Teach for HSE
2012 18th IFHP Urban Design and Planning Summer School, Aalto University, School of Engineering, Department of Surveying and Planning
2010 Five-week Arcosanti Workshop Program, Arizona, USA (BERKELEY PRIZE Travel Fellowship)