Migration intentions and local attachment of small-town residents

The article is devoted to the consideration of the attitude of urban residents to their small homeland in the concept of activity-based landscaping. The paper gives theoretical foundations of the construction of this concept. To study the social well-being and the specifics of social orientations of residents of small towns, we used monitoring in three cities of the Nizhny Novgorod Region – Gorodets, Semenov, Lukoyanov. The surveys were conducted in 2022 (Gorodets and Semenov) and in 2024 (Gorodets and Lukoyanov). The total sample size was 2,600 people. These cities are defined for study as typical small territories with different socio-economic, historical and cultural essence, but with similar social attitudes of the inhabitants. The basis of the study was the determination of the willingness of residents of small towns to move to more attractive areas for a decent life, in comparison with their socio-demographic characteristics. We identified groups focused on leaving and having a desire to stay. The sizes and intersections of the selected groups are determined. The article examines the reasons that can stimulate the departure of residents to other cities, as well as their attitude to various forms of civic engagement. An assessment of the state of affairs in cities has been carried out, information sources preferred and trusted by the population have been identified, the structure of assessments of information sources, and the index of satisfaction with them. The attitude of representatives of various groups to sources of information about events taking place in cities is analyzed. It is concluded that the grouping of residents of small towns formed on the basis of the conducted sociological research is significant in relation to the design and justification of human-centered solutions in relation to the development of a small area in the concept of activity landscaping.