Development institutions in small and medium-sized cities of the Northwestern Federal District

In current realities, the formation of development institutions is one of the tools for ensuring stable socio-economic development of regions and municipalities. The activities of such institutions are aimed not only at enhancing the competitiveness of territories but also at improving the quality of life of the population. Without their effective operation, achieving sustainable progress in this direction under conditions of global uncertainty seems extremely difficult. The study aims to assess the presence and scale of development institutions for the economy and social sphere in small and medium-sized cities of the Northwestern Federal District. The paper discusses theoretical and methodological foundations of the formation and functioning of territorial development institutions and proposes a methodological approach for their typology. The study analyzes economic development institutions operating in small and medium-sized cities of the Northwestern Federal District. It was found that their activities are currently primarily focused on supporting settlements with a mono-profile economy. Twenty-six out of 138 cities in the district have the status of a single-industry town (monogorod), yet only seven of them are classified as territories of advanced socio-economic development (TOR). Industrial and technology parks are present in only four small and medium-sized cities across two regions (Leningrad and Vologda), and special economic zones are found only in the Kaliningrad Region. It was also found that entrepreneurship support centers “My Business” (Moy Biznes) are open in seven small and medium-sized cities of the Northwestern Federal District. Among the institutions for housing and urban development, the activities of the DOM.RF Fund were examined, whose effectiveness is evidenced by the growth of the urban environment quality index in all small and medium-sized cities of the federal district. Furthermore, the study explores social development institutions such as territorial public self-government and non-profit organizations.