Relevance. The concept of smart city consists in managing cities in a modern way using the latest technology, including digital technologies. Reducing the level of environmental pollution is also an integral part of the smart city concept. The implementation of the concept of smart city is one of the growth areas in urban development in industrialized countries. This warrants theoretical and applied interest in the study of this growth line of urban development. Scientific problem. Major urban development projects based on the smart city concept are currently being implemented in a number of regions of Russia. Volgograd is one of the cities included in the implementation of the governmental project to create a smart urban environment. The paper identifies and analyzes the main directions of the development of the concept of a smart city in Volgograd and the problems of their implementation, priorities in the development of the city’s economic space, awareness of residents about the ongoing innovation policy, competitive advantages of the city of Volgograd that can positively affect its socio-economic development. Methods. With the participation of the author, a sociological study was conducted in January-March 2022, which is based on the use of a mixed sociological strategy: a questionnaire survey of Volgograd residents (n=300, on-line survey using the available case method) and an expert interview with officials of the Volgograd administration (N =15). Research results. A survey of the population and the opinion of experts on the intermediate results of the implementation of the smart city concept in the social space of Volgograd showed that residents assess their awareness of this project as average (38.6% of respondents), 67.1% of respondents are active, confident, routine Internet users preferring to communicate with the authorities in an electronic format entirely or partly. Conclusions. According to respondents, priority areas in the development of a smart city include formation of a comfortable living environment, modernization of the transport system, increasing the competence and interest of representatives of municipal / state administration bodies in the formation of a smart city.
Relevance. The concept of smart city consists in managing cities in a modern way using the latest technology, including digital technologies. Reducing the level of environmental pollution is also an integral part of the smart city concept. The implementation of the concept of smart city is one of the growth areas in urban development in industrialized countries. This warrants theoretical and applied interest in the study of this growth line of urban development. Scientific problem. Major urban development projects based on the smart city concept are currently being implemented in a number of regions of Russia. Volgograd is one of the cities included in the implementation of the governmental project to create a smart urban environment. The paper identifies and analyzes the main directions of the development of the concept of a smart city in Volgograd and the problems of their implementation, priorities in the development of the city’s economic space, awareness of residents about the ongoing innovation policy, competitive advantages of the city of Volgograd that can positively affect its socio-economic development. Methods. With the participation of the author, a sociological study was conducted in January-March 2022, which is based on the use of a mixed sociological strategy: a questionnaire survey of Volgograd residents (n=300, on-line survey using the available case method) and an expert interview with officials of the Volgograd administration (N =15). Research results. A survey of the population and the opinion of experts on the intermediate results of the implementation of the smart city concept in the social space of Volgograd showed that residents assess their awareness of this project as average (38.6% of respondents), 67.1% of respondents are active, confident, routine Internet users preferring to communicate with the authorities in an electronic format entirely or partly. Conclusions. According to respondents, priority areas in the development of a smart city include formation of a comfortable living environment, modernization of the transport system, increasing the competence and interest of representatives of municipal / state administration bodies in the formation of a smart city.