Yudina T.N., Demidov A.V. Indicators for Assessing the Level of Sustainable Development of Medium-Sized Cities in Central Russia (A Case Study of Cities in the Moscow and Tula Regions). Logos et Praxis, 2026, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 122-139. (in Russian). DOI: https: ...

Abstract

The need for this study is driven by the current priorities of public policy in the Russian Federation. According to a statement made by the President of the Russian Federation at the Eastern Economic Forum in September 2025, the development of small and medium-sized cities has acquired strategic importance for meeting national needs. Although the socioeconomic conditions of small and medium-sized cities display substantial similarities, medium-sized cities occupy a higher level of development: they more often serve as intermunicipal service centres, have larger populations, and possess a more complex territorial structure comprising several residential districts. The principal social challenges facing medium-sized cities in Central Russia include insufficient investment in social and engineering infrastructure, socioeconomic stagnation, and population outmigration to more developed urban agglomerations. The study aims to assess the current level of development of medium-sized cities in Central Russia as perceived by local residents and to substantiate the importance of sustainable development principles for the social development of urban territories. Empirical data were collected through a pilot questionnaire survey of residents of medium-sized cities in Moscow and Tula oblasts. The study’s scientific novelty lies in identifying and classifying the domains of sustainable development in medium-sized cities in Central Russia as developed, standard, or underdeveloped, based on residents’ subjective assessments. The findings of the pilot study are of practical relevance to local-government officials in medium-sized cities and are advisory in nature, providing guidance for improving their professional strategies. The paper concludes by presenting a classification of the development levels of sustainable development domains in medium-sized cities in Central Russia and outlining directions for further research, including an expansion of the sample