Nedoseka E., Minina V., Ivanov S. (2026) Razvitie malykh gorodov Rossii: «nizovye» agenty aktivizatsii sotsialnogo potentsiala ustoychivosti [Developing Russia’s Small Towns: “Grassroots” Agents of Activating Social Potential for Sustainability]. Journal of Economic Sociology = Ekonomicheskaya sotsiologiya, vol. 27, no 1, pp. 125–152. doi: 10.17323 ...

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Abstract

The socio-economic situation in small towns in Russia has long been at the center of the management agenda. The contradictory nature of support measures for such settlements lies in attempts to focus on the economic and managerial aspects of their efficiency. At the same time, both scientific literature and management practice pay insufficient attention to the typology of economic activity and living conditions of local societies, social and status relations, and many other non-economic factors that play an important role in the functioning and development of small towns. Sources of small-town development are most often associated with external investments and related support measures, while internal sources remain on the periphery of scientific interest. This article attempts to explore the social potential of a small town through the new lens the activities of “grassroots” sustainability agents that constitute the core of the social potential for sustainable development of a small town. The authors consider “grassroots” agents of sustainability as initiators of changeboth individuals and groupswho use their power, knowledge, experience, and relations for the development of the local environment and society. They include entrepreneurs (creative, institutional, social), representatives of government and civil society (NGOs), and public opinion leaders. The article concludes that it is necessary to explore the structure of “grassroots” sustainability agents in the development of small towns with limited opportunities for external investment. The results of such studies will expand the understanding of the social potential for sustainable development of small towns and thereby create an information base for making effective management decisions.