Territorial Mobility of Young People: Attractive Cities and Countries

Abstract

The article focuses on territorial mobility of young people, which refers to their willingness to move outside their current place of residence. Being an economic and intellectual resource, youth is a driver of the settlement development that enhances its status and competitiveness. Territorial mobility of youth is becoming a factor of the accumulation of human capital or its decline. In 2019, a sociological study was conducted, its object was the students and employed youth of Yekaterinburg. 750 young men and women were interviewed using the survey method, 22 in-depth interviews and an expert survey (n = 10) were conducted. The research showed that young people of big Russian cities plan to move to other Russian or foreign cities. The leaders are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Prague. According to the opinion of young people, these cities have favorable conditions for satisfying a wide range of needs and interests, opportunities for getting high-quality education, vertical mobility and self-fulfillment. The younger generation is also striving for new experiences and impressions that territorial mobility can provide.