Cultural Interests of a Sustainable City in the Context of Regional Welfare: Novo­uralsk Urban District

Abstract

The article considers the problems of cultural development of the region (Novouralsk Urban District), interests of the elite and achieving sustai­nability in interaction of the social groups in cultu­ral sphere. They are in line with the broad and relevant problem of implementation of the concepts of “sustainable” (“smart”) city, formed in the early 2000s. The article pays particular attention to the sociocultural po­licy of regions, which is considered in a broad sense, in the context of relations, norms and values cultivated in society and penetrating all fields of its life. The authors focus on the relationship of culture and quality of life. There are analyzed the assessment of factors and barriers to the implementation of positive practices of public-private and social partnership, which are gi­ven by officials of local government and business leaders. The authors give the data of the study conducted in the Novouralsk Urban District in 2017 — 2018, which reveals cultural interests of the municipal elite. People responsible for making decisions in the deve­lopment and implementation of the state cultural poli­cy until 2030 relate to this social category. The article summarizes the answers of 106 respondents belon­ging to this circle. The study results reflect such important characteristics as responsibility of the elite, influence of professionalism on the level of decision-making, human qualities, family and community relations, relations of personal devotion and patronage (which can influence on decision-making) in the organizations where the elite representatives work. More than 1,000 answers of the responding residents of the Novouralsk Urban District demonstrate the relative satisfaction of the closed city’s population with the activities of its cultural institutions.The article substantiates the potential opportunities to ensure a consensus of interests of civil society, go­vernment and business in the formation of corporate policy strategies, as well as the elaboration and implementation of sustainable city development tactics.