Assessing the impact of the unfinished part of the Cascade architectural and monumental complex as a communicative core between Kentron and Kanaker-Zeytun districts in Yerevan and a proposal for solving the urban planning problem

The paper considers the problem of communication between Kentron and Kanaker-Zeytun districts in Yerevan. Particular attention is paid to the Cascade architectural and monumental complex. It obtains an important urban planning significance in the structure of public spaces in Yerevan and is considered by citizens as one of main symbols of the capital of Armenia. The study is aimed at identifying the grounds for poor pedestrian communication between the districts of the city and determining the prospects of development, transformation, and modernization of the territory. The methodology involved a comparative analysis of public spaces in the city center, publicly available GPS tracks and the results of a sociological survey. The results of the urban planning analysis outline the problem of pedestrian accessibility in the city, and demonstrate the relationship between public spaces. The sociological survey depicts the demands of the citizens and guests of Yerevan for the further development of the Cascade architectural and monumental complex. Studying the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of public spaces revealed the problems of communication between the districts of the city on the northsouth compositional axis, which are associated with the incomplete construction of the fifth terrace of the complex. Sociological research necessitates the construction to be completed. The survey shows the opinions of citizens and guests of the city about the potential development of the Cascade environment.