Island Communities’ Viability in the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russian Arctic: The Role of Livelihoods and Social Capital

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, local communities have been adapting to new political and socioeconomic realities. These changes have prompted dramatic outmigration among rural populations, especially in the Russian Arctic. Despite these changes, some communities remain viable, with some residents exploring new economic opportunities. This study uses findings from qualitative interviews to understand what factors shape community viability, interviewing residents and relevant regional stakeholders in two case areas in the Arkhangelsk oblast: the Solovetsky Archipelago in the White Sea and islands in the delta of the Northern Dvina River. The results indicate that community viability and the reluctance of community members to leave their traditional settlements are shaped by livelihoods, employment opportunities, and social capital. Social capital is characterized by such empirically identified factors as shared perceptions of change and a willingness to address changes, place attachment, and local values. We conclude that further development or enhancement of community viability and support for local livelihoods also depends on 1) bottom-up initiatives of engaged individuals and their access to economic support and 2) top-down investments that contribute to local value creation and employment opportunities

Public participation in planning a comfortable urban environment on the example of the Arkhangelsk region

The article analyzes the experience of public participation in the planning of a comfortable urban environment. The forms of public involvement in the formation of a comfortable urban environment and their implementation are considered on the example of the Arkhangelsk region. The method of complex analysis of the theory and practice of public communications helps the article to present a qualitative as-sessment of public involvement in the improvement of the urban environment. It is shown that the existing methods of interaction between the authorities and citizens represent a one-sided process and often they are reduced to the formal fulfillment of legal requirements by municipalities. To improve the efficiency of public participation, the authors propose to develop a communicative model of urban space management based on constant interaction between municipal authorities and citizens. This model will allow establishing a dialogue between all stakeholders, which will ultimately lead to the successful implementation of the urban environmental program and improve the quality of life of citizens