Markin V.V., Voronov V.V., Peshkova V.M. Small Cities in the State Policy of Spatial Development of Russia: on the Methodology of Social Modeling of Regional Strategies and Practices

Текст статьи.

Abstract

The article provides an essay on the current state of research in small sized towns, an analysis of small sized towns in Russian socio-political discourse, and suggests an approach to the methodology of social modeling of regional strategies and practices in the context of the spatial development of Russia. Features of the historical development of small towns in Russia (numerically constituting more than two-thirds of the total number of urban formations), the consequences of socio-political and socio-economic transformations of the post-Soviet period led to the formation of a complex of problems in them: socio-economic, socio-cultural, managerial and more. This set of problems of small towns can lead (in some cases already leads) to a signifi cant increase in social tensions and risks of violation of state stability and security. This provision represents a special challenge for the state policy of Russia in modern conditions and in the future. In this regard, it is necessary to develop and substantiate a new approach to the study of small towns, various political and management strategies and practices, self-organization of the population in specifi c socio-territorial communities of small towns, the identifi cation, typology and modeling of strategies and political and management practices of the development of these cities, as a certain way of formation and implementation of eff ective public policy in this direction.