My I suggest that it is time to add St Petersburg and Moscow to your list of cities? It's true that compared to many other places St Petersburg doesn't have a significant expat population, but in the warmer months we do get some tourists. I haven't traveled in the west since 2004 so I know things have changed since then. Sometimes better, and sometimes worse. I write a blog which is listed in the Blog Expat Directory, American Russia Observations www.amrusob.blogspot.com.

Sometimes our city lags far behind innovation in the west. Many business and government people have little experience seeing things done in a better way in Europe and America. I am thinking about contacting the governor (the mayor) to suggest she have someone travel around Europe looking for inexpensive ways to improve the city and please the people. For instance, with a decree, she could require unit pricing in our supermarkets.

Has anyone tried to improve the city in which they live in a similar way? Any suggestions on how I could proceed?