The image of the future: attractiveness of the city as assessed by youth

The paper analyzes attractiveness of the city as a place of residence as imagined by the future young generation in a large industrial city. The sociological interpretation of the image of the future involves the study of characteristics of an imagined life scenario. Based on the results of a survey (N = 750) and interviews (N = 22) of youth in Yekaterinburg, the paper states that the young generation is actively claiming the right to consume/appropriate urban space. An ideal city should be a city with beautiful architecture and unique environment. The vector of potential territorial mobility is shifted from the periphery to the center, and socio-economic factors become the key factors in choosing a place to live. The key indicators in the ranking of urban environment convenience are high-quality housing, developed transportation system, and availability of parks and public gardens.