URBAN IDENTITY AND IMAGE OF THE FUTURE IN TWO CITIES: GENERATION FACTOR

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of urban identity and image of the future in four generations of residents of two cities – Moscow and the subpolar monotown of Surgut. It is assumed that the image of the future and urban identity are indicators of the social well-being of representatives of different generations, their expectations, and fears. The study was conducted through an online survey, N=644. Residents of Moscow were 358 people, and residents of Surgut – were 285 people. The samples are divided into subgroups by generations: Baby Boomers, X, Y, and Z. Methods were used: “Scale of Identification with the City” (Lalli M.), the author’s modification of the “Semantic Differential” methodology, which includes 8 scales aimed at studying attitudes towards the future cities, associative technique. The results of the study showed that the Baby Boomer generation of both cities associates their future with the town to the greatest extent, and representatives of generation Z of both cities identify themselves with the city of residence less than other generations and less often than other generations associate their future with it. The high level of urban identity in Moscow, which citizens perceive (according to SD) in positive categories, also includes a positive perception of their future in the city (predictable, bright, hopeful, meaningful, eventful). The overall indicator of urban identity among the residents of Surgut is significantly lower. In the Surgut sample, negatively colored emotional categories are most closely associated with the category that reflects the lifestyle of city dwellers in the future (“Poor events”). However, despite the fundamental differences in living conditions in the two cities under consideration, the elements of the image of an ideal city turn out to be similar. Among Surgut residents, significant (in comparison with the expectations of Muscovites) were wishes related to environmental opportunities for children and youth, as well as requirements for comfort. Socio-psychological explanations are put forward for generational differences in the level of urban identity and the nature of the image of the future of the city, and prospects for further research are outlined.