Cherepovets State University, Cherepovets, Russia

N. A. Nenastyev, Junior Researcher, e-mail: nanenastev@chsu.ru
N. N. Yashalova, Dr. Econ., Associate Prof., Head of the Dept. of Economics, Business School (Institute), e-mail: natalij2005@mail.ru

Moscow City Pedagogical University, Moscow, Russia
E. V. Potravnaya, Cand. Soc., Associate Prof., Institute of Economics, Management, and Law, e-mail: potr195@gmail.com

The article discusses the development of the region’s social space, taking into account the social responsibility of the city’s iron and steel works, and assesses the contribution of Severstal PJSC, Cherepovets, to the development of the Vologda Region. In the context of the company’s interaction with the population, a survey was conducted to identify the challenges of social space development and change, as well as the perception of the speed of changes in various aspects of society and the population’s readiness for these changes. The article highlights current trends in the development of social space, including changes in traditional forms of communication, a focus on digitalization, a high rate of knowledge and education dissemination, and a lack of environmental sustainability and legal development. The activities of iron and steel works demonstrate the paradoxes of social space development: objective results are not always perceived by society as positive, which requires additional ways to promote interaction between the population and iron and steel works. The directions for the development of the social space in Cherepovets have been substantiated, aimed at transforming the industrial city into a modern creative hub. This includes the development of the creative industry infrastructure, taking into account the social needs of the population, and will allow for the development of the city’s social space in the region where the iron and steel works are located, becoming a model for shaping a new future for industrial cities.
This study was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation, project no. 25-28-00146, https://rscf.ru/project/25-28-00146/.

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