Abstract: The subject of this study includes conceptual and methodological approaches to the visual perception of the image of the city. This problem has become relevant in modern urban planning, and plenty of curious methods for studying the visual image of the city emerged over the past 10-15 years. The critical analysis of this method and the rationalization of choosing the visual image of the city as the subject of study for further empirical research has defined the topic of study in this science article. Thus, the article represents a proposition for a study of the visual image of the city to be conducted in accordance with the rationalized choice of the methodological strategy. The main method is the critical analysis of existing concepts and methods, monitoring of cutting-edge urban studies in order to choose the most relevant and efficient method for further empirical studies. While studying the visual perception of the image of the city, the author uncovered that researchers in this field use both, general and special methods. The general methods for researching the visual image of the city include questionnaires, sociological surveys, interview and content-analysis. Special methods of researching the visual image of the city involve the analysis of mental mapping, architectural semantic differentials, video- and photo content analysis, go-along, auto ethnography and decoding.

Keywords: methodology, visuality, image, city, the urbanistic anthropology, cultural studies, social studies, visual perception, common methods, special methods

Abstract: This study is focused on the cultural needs of the residents of Krasnoyarsk, the capital of the Krasnoyarsk region. The current population of Krasnoyarsk exceeds one million people. Residents ranging from 16 to 60 years of age were selected as the representative group for this study. This article is a part of another, larger project, which divides residents by age and residence areas. The sociological study was conducted on the basis of questionnaires, the analysis of their content and interpretation of the results. In order to study the defining traits of the modern Krasnoyarsk leisure culture and to predict its course of development over the next decades the authors researched various ways of receiving information. The questionnaire method turned out to be the most effective, as it employs a series of specifically-worded questions to get information from the representatives. Due to the fact that this study pursued several goals, the questionnaire was aimed at receiving response on several topics - from the image of a modern Krasnoyarsk citizen to the image of the city itself in the eyes of residents, as well as its potential for leisure and recreation. The scientific novelty of this research is based on the new questionnaire and its processing. This study doesn't only state quantitative results - it offers sketches of several projects that have the potential to significantly enhance the social and cultural environment of Krasnoyarsk, to make the leisure time of its citizens much more varied and interesting.

Keywords: culture, questionnaires, Krasnoyarsk, city, sociological study, the urbanistic anthropology, social studies, leisure, projects, recommendations

Abstract: The formation of the institute of "condominium elders@ in Nizhniy Novgorod began in May, 24th, 2006, when Nizhniy Novgorod Duma adopted Bylaw #41 "On territorial public self-government in Nizhniy Novgorod". "Elder committees" were formed on the basis of previously-formed House committees. The next step was the creation of Condominium Councils for apartment blocks. Previously, home-owners were obligated to form those councils according to Federal Law #123 "On Amendments to the Housing Code of Russian Federation", as the state believed that such Councils were a suitable form of control and management for residents, while deliberately limiting their legal powers, viewing them solely as an organizational body, thus undermining its usefulness. The author draws special attention to the necessity of creating favourable conditions for the Council's development. It is important to support and nurture local self-government from grassroots level. The Councils provide such support. The methodological basis of this research consists of a multitude of general and specific scientific methods: dialectic, systemic-functional, comparative, system analysis and genarization, functional-structural analysis, problem analysis, logical method. The Condominium Councils may be viewed as a form of local self-government that is created both, from "below" and from "above, under the influence of municipal authorities, being the beginning stage for uniting the home0owners of apartment blocks for solving the issues of housing and communal services in the general system of local self-government. The creation of Condominium Councils is a positive step towards the development of local self-government, representing the creation of a collective body constituted of elected active home-owners who are interested in improving the quality of services.

Keywords: local self-government, self-organization, housing and communal services reform, the institute of "Elders", House Committee, Condominium Council, "Councils of Elders", Territorial self-government, Elected official's public reception, Home owner

Abstract: The article studies the development and defining characteristics of architectural design. The author bases his study on the proposition of the fundamental division of design into two main types – “traditional” design – architectural and engineering design, and “non-traditional” – urbanistic and custom design. The author examines the genesis of design, especially its influence on the formation of engineering design and offers a typology of design knowledge and schematics (sketches and principal schemes) set around the three main stages of design – conception,  envisioning, implementation. The author offers a thorough description of the two types of design – engineering and designer. To conclude the study, the author examines the crisis of project ideology, stating that design has its limitations and that design consciousness is influenced by a particular “design fetishism” regarding what can or cannot be designed, and the attempts to design social and cultural entities are often turned against culture. This article  uses the methods of cultural-historical reconstruction, comparative and typological analysis, semiotic and epistemological approaches.. The author offers two cases for empirical material. As a result, the author managed to outline the logic of the genesis of design, and to offer a thorough typology of design knowledge (functional, individual-based, creative, relay-based, prototypical, schematic), and to demonstrate the role in designing of schematics, to characterize engineering and designer models. Overall, this study has brought a better understanding and modern design, its genesis and functioning.

Keywords: culture, diagrams, knowledge, implementation, constructivization, concept, Engineering, Design, design, project

Abstract: New production and consumption waste regulations come into force on January 1, 2016. Among the novelties is the introduction of fees for negative environment impact caused by the disposal of solid waste of the population. This article describes the new layout of legal relations that occur between government authorities, entrepreneurs, operating companies and residents. The author shows the new position of fee payment in this chain of relations. During research, the author employed general and specific science methods, such as: dialectic, formal-logical, formal-legal and comparative-legal. The analysis performed allowed the author to reach a conclusion that the introduction of solid waste disposal fees will lead to an unreasonable increase in utility bills. The author proposes of exempting solid waste from negative environment impact fees.

Keywords: waste disposal, waste management, solid municipal waste, waste, negative impact, environment, fee, utilities, owner of waste, homeowners