Formation of attractiveness of places in urban space on the example of VDNH in Moscow

Despite the importance of the phenomenon being studied and the interest in the problem in foreign research, the problem of the attractiveness of places in sociological and domestic contexts remains poorly studied today. Identifying aspects that contribute to the attractiveness of places not only for tourists, but also for local residents, will make it possible to develop recommendations for the development of places and improve the quality of life in Moscow and other Russian cities. Thus, the purpose of the study is to find out how the attractiveness of places in urban space is formed. The VDNH space in Moscow was explored as a case study. The results of semi-structured interviews (N = 10) with 3 groups of informants are presented: residents of areas close to VDNH and remote ones, as well as tourists from Russian regions visiting attractive places in Moscow. As part of additional research methods, observational data were analyzed (N = 25) and a qualitative content analysis of reviews of VDNH from Yandex Maps was conducted from November 2023 to April 2024 (N = 165). Based on the results of the study, key aspects of attractiveness were identified, among which the identity of the place plays an important role; five types of attractiveness of places are identified and portraits of their typical visitors are described; the sources of influence on attractiveness are considered, the role of social networks and bloggers is highlighted, forming a positive perception of a place and, as a consequence, attractiveness before visiting the place; The VDNH space is becoming an attractive place for leisure by rethinking the symbolic heritage of the space, a variety of activities for various social groups, taking into account the interests of everyone.