Specificity of Motivation of Population Participation in Improvement of the Urban Environment

Abstract

The activity of the population in improving the urban environment is an important intangible resource for the formation of urban space. The active participation of the population in decision-making on the transformation of the territory is the key to the effectiveness of coordination of opinions between citizens and city authorities, which minimizes conflicts of interest and becomes the basis for social security and reduces the risk of protest sentiments. An important component for developing mechanisms for involving citizens in improvement practices is a detailed analysis of the motivation for the participation of current activists. The article examines two forms of participation in the improvement of the urban environment and, accordingly, two groups of activists: formal participation in the activities of territorial public self-government bodies and informal participation in the improvement of a house or yard. The theoretical and methodological basis for the study of social participation was the work of E.S. Azarova, M.S. Yanitsky, Kh.K. Anheier, L.M. Salamon, M.V. Nikonova and V.N. Stegniy. Idealistic, personal growth, expansion of social contacts, and compensatory motives are taken as basic. As an empirical basis, we used data from a survey of the population of the city of Cherepovets and the results of in-depth and expert interviews with representatives of the bodies of the TOS “Zarechny” in the city of Cherepovets and activists of this microdistrict. Based on the results of the study, it was proven that the significant incentives of activists taking part informally are focused on interaction, on the sphere of common interests, the motivation is solving problems of society, communication, and changing the surrounding space. The leading motives in the structure of motivation of TOS employees, with also quite pronounced idealistic motives, are significantly focused on the manifestation of personal initiative and are determined by the desire for self-realization.