Prospects of the mediation institute in the arrangement of urban conflicts in Russia

The article considers the phenomenon of urban conflicts in modern Russia, as well as the ability to manage them effectively through mediation procedures. The authors rely on independently collected rich practical material: the opinions of experts, participants in existing urban development conflicts, conflictologists, and public officials. The authors conclude about the possibility and expediency of using mediation as a potentially very effective tool for managing urban conflicts and their resolution. In preparing the article, the authors relied on the advantages of using institutional, systemic and sociological methods. The novelty of the work consists in an attempt to systematically consider, on the base of unique sociological data obtained, the possibility of applying the new institute of mediation with regard to the resolution of urban conflicts involving a large number of participants, having significant public resonance and, therefore, objectively complex in terms of management and solution.