Constructing the "right to the city" in modern practical urbanism

The article deals with the issues of citizens' participation in urban planning from the perspective of the concept of "right to the city" of French sociologist Henri Lefebvre and American geographer David Harvey. The article actualizes the necessity of citizens' involvement in decision-making on the development of urban infrastructure and creation of comfortable conditions for all residents. On the examples of existing programs and projects on urban development, the problem of distortion of the concept of "the right to the city" in modern practical urbanism is raised, which entails negative social effects in the life of the city and its inhabitants. This is due to the fact that these programs and projects often do not take into account the interests of the community or ignore the opinions of citizens. The article analyzes the research data of the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center, which illustrate the problems raised in the text. The concept of "the right to the city" is a key element of equitable and sustainable development of the urban environment and requires the active involvement of citizens in urban planning processes. The state should provide more freedom and opportunities for citizens to participate in decision-making, which will contribute to the development of their social responsibility and involvement in governance processes at all levels.