There are more than 1,100 cities in Russia, the vast majority of which are small. For the last 20 years, they have (with rare exceptions) been depopulating. The reasons are clear: the relatively low quality of the urban environment, the limited trajectory of professional growth, and the monotonous infrastructure. And if it's simple, it's ugly, there's nothing to do, they don't pay enough. People looking for a better life are being swallowed up by Moscow, St. Petersburg, and large urban agglomerations with economic meaning.
At the same time, there are communities in the country that see value in small and medium-sized settlements and are trying to find growth points in them and thus save them.
Key topics for discussion:
- How cities die. What will the loss of industrial potential and mass depopulation lead to?
- Chasing a person: key factors of local attractiveness.
- Does it make sense to save small towns? Is it possible to make a person a permanent resident without violence?
- Who should be the main actor of change?