Review: The subject of this article is the analysis of development patterns of local self-governance in the modern Russian towns, and determination of self-governance potential of the residents. Examination of the models of territorial organization of local self-governance and methods of formation of municipal authorities allows revealing the trends and nature of evolution of the local self-governance system. Having studies of the representations of residents of the Russian towns on the models of local self-governance, as well as their attitudes on participating in solution of the local problems, the author outlines the sociocultural foundations of the processes currently unfolding in municipalities. The object of this research is the towns of Tver Region. The data of 2018-2020 sociological monitoring conducted in Tver Region via the method of structured interview is presented. The author examines the models of territorial organization of local self-governance in the towns, as well as the prevalence of elective procedures in formation of the municipal branches. Analysis is conducted on the representations of towns population on the nature of local self-governance and its role in the administrative system of Russian society. The author examines opinion of the citizens on the models of territorial organization of local self-governance and methods of electing the head of municipality, and reveals the nature of their as stance on participation in the practices of self-governance. The author’s special contribution consists in the analysis of prevalence of different models of local self-governance in the towns, taking into account their spatial and geographical location, resource characteristics, and level of self-governance potential of the population. The acquired materials can be used by the state and municipal authorities in the process of formation of municipal administration systems and engagement of population in the practices of self-governance.

Keywords: activist attitudes, self-government potential, models of election of heads, territorial organization of self-government, models of local self-government, small town, local self-government, enlarged municipalities, municipalities of settlement level, spatial development

Review: The subject of this research is the problem of preservation of historical heritage aggravated to rapid urbanization, which is characteristic to many developing cities. Special attention is given to the existing trends of total destruction of historical and cultural monuments in the conditions of dense urban fabric. The relevance is defined by the dynamically increasing process of degradation, and at times, full destruction of environmental objects that are listed as state protected. The theoretical framework of this research is comprised of the system-environmental approach, which views the urban environment surrounding the landmarked object as a system that is in direct interaction with it. The novelty consists in practical application of theoretical provisions of the system-environmental approach to the specific conditions of Khabarovsk. Having explored over two dozen of landmarked buildings of the city, the authors reveal the contradiction between legislation intended for legal regulation of the protection and use of architectural heritage and the actual city practice of exploitation of historical buildings by the new owners of the landmarks. The study was conducted in cooperation and on behalf of Khabarovsk Regional Center for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments. The results are used in practical activity of the center and in development of its strategic goals.

Keywords: environmental approach, private home ownership, legal regulation, degradation of the historical environment, legislative acts, annotated catalog, architectural heritage, protection zones project, infill development, urban landscape

Review: This article provides the results of continuous zoning of Vasileostrovsky District of Saint Petersburg using the methods that are based on the systems of interconnected quantitative parameters, such as floor area ratio and building density coefficient. These include Spacmatrix (description of building density) and MXI (functional classification). The aforementioned methods are convenient for determination of the morphological types of buildings and differentiation of the zones of implementation of various urban planning policies; however, in Russia they are not widespread, and are used mainly for selecting the alternatives of urban planning solutions for a separate land plot or block. The continuous zoning patterns for the large diversified urban development are published for the first time. Comparison of the acquired patterns with the results obtained using historical and genetic analysis of the morphological development sites, as well as with the functional zoning of the draft Master Plan of Saint Petersburg from 2021 through 2048 demonstrated that the parametric methods allow a more accurate delineation of boundaries of morphological districts and describe the morphotypes of development. The article discusses the factors of the detected discrepancies and the limitations of methods used in creation of planning documents; as well as the requirements for the quality of the base data, sequence of implementation of Spacmatrix and MXI methods, and their alignment with the traditional methods for determination of the morphological types of development.

Keywords: Floor Space Index, master plan, territorial planning, framework zone, urban development model, morphotype, functional zoning, Spacematrix, Mixed Use Index, Ground Space Index