LOCAL CENTERS OF SAMARA. EVALUATION AND IMAGE OF THE RESIDENCE PLACE

Abstract

The article presents the results of the urban planning and sociological research conducted by the Institute SSUE «TerrNIIgrazhdanproekt» in 2017 in Samara. One of the blocks of the study was devoted to the perception of residents of the city of their area of residence: the questionnaire was aimed at identifying the degree of attractiveness and evaluation of the citizens of the area, the feeling of residents of recognizable central elements and public spaces in it. Areas of residence are perceived by citizens as local areas with their central elements and attractions that distinguish the area from others, not in the usual sense of administrative division, but from the position of the existing territories with local features that have their informal names. The paper reveals the opinion of citizens about the places and objects in the areas of their residence, which are local centers, in order to identify local centers in the living environment as well as about the characteristic landmarks, attractive elements in the area of residence, allowing identifying it among other areas of the city, symbolizing its «face». The article also studies the place of the identified local centers in the citywide system of centers and public spaces. In addition, the author analyses the preferences of Samara residents in choosing the area of residence in the city and compiles the rating of «prestige» of urban area.