Vol 13, No 1 (2026): URBAN DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT IN MOSCOW: STATE AND MUNICIPAL LEVELS

This study outlines the brief history of the institution of public self-government in Moscow over three centuries, from the emergence of its preconditions to the modern period. It traces the trend of expanding the powers of city self-government in the capital - from the Town Hall to the district administration - and provides a brief description of the electoral foundations for forming self-government bodies and their structure, as well as their relationships with state authorities. Significant attention in the study is paid to the reform of local self-government in the present time - from the late 1990s to the present day. The author concludes that the adoption by the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the new Federal Law No. 33-FZ dated March 20, 2025 “On the General Principles of Organizing Local Self-Government in the Unified System of Public Power” is an important stage in the development of Moscow self-government and its adaptation to modern requirements.

This study examines key aspects of urban infrastructure modernization through the lens of the strategic initiative Мoscow “Smart City - 2030”. The author substantiates the necessity of transitioning to the smart city model as a response to contemporary challenges such as rapid urbanization, mounting environmental pressures, and rising citizen expectations. It is emphasized that modern urban development is unattainable without profound digital transformation grounded in the application of big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technologies. The study outlines core principles underpinning smart city development - human-centricity, sustainability, energy efficiency, and cross-sectoral collaboration. Particular attention is devoted to the three-tier architecture of the smart city, which integrates physical and digital infrastructure, digital services, and end-user solutions for residents and businesses. Drawing on the Moscow case, the article provides a detailed analysis of successful practices, including intelligent transportation systems, digitalization of healthcare (via the Unified Medical Information and Analytical System - EMIAS) and education (through the Moscow Electronic School - MESH), smart housing and communal services (HCS), environmental monitoring, and e-democracy platforms (“Active Citizen,” “Our City”). Moscow’s role as a pilot region is highlighted, especially in light of its certification under the international standards ISO 37120 (“Sustainable Development of Communities - Indicators for City Services and Quality of Life”) and ISO 37122 (“Indicators for Smart Cities”). The study also presents findings from the 2024 “City IQ Index,” illustrating the dynamic progress of digital transformation in Russian municipalities such as Kazan, Saint Petersburg, and Tyumen. Finally, the study identifies key prospective directions for further development: scaling proven solutions, refining the regulatory framework, enhancing human capital, and advancing digital literacy among the population. The analysis concludes that the effectiveness of a smart city hinges not only on technological deployment but equally on citizen engagement, governance transparency, and interdepartmental coordination - factors that collectively foster a secure, sustainable, and livable urban environment for the future.

The study focuses on the Smart City 2030 program in Moscow, which aims to digitalize the urban environment on a large scale and improve the living conditions for its residents. The goal of the program is to create a smart and convenient metropolis by integrating modern information and communication technologies into key areas of the city’s life. The authors emphasize the comprehensive approach to solving urban problems, including transportation infrastructure, healthcare, education, housing and utilities, and security. The key areas of focus include automation of management processes, the use of big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things. In conclusion, the authors emphasize the importance of a long-term city development strategy, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring of the achieved results and adapting the program’s goals to changes in the external environment and the needs of residents.

In the context of rapid digitalization and globalization, the mass media has become a key tool for shaping public consciousness, legitimizing power, and mobilizing social groups. In this context, traditionalism, a movement that emerged as a reaction to the crisis of modernity and postmodernity, is of particular interest. Traditionalists view the mass media and the digital environment as both a threat to the sacred foundations of society and a necessary tool for gaining political influence. The processes of globalization and unification of the cultural space are at the center of traditionalist criticism, where mass media acts as a conduit for universalist values and consumer models. At the same time, modern right-wing movements based on the ideas of A. de Benoît, D. Wenner, and A. Dugin actively use digital channels to mobilize supporters, indicating a dual attitude towards the media space. The purpose of this study is to analyze the traditionalist criticism of mass media and digitalization in the context of globalism, as well as to identify its significance for evaluating modern state information policy strategies. The research methodology includes discourse analysis of the works of traditionalists, a comparative analysis of their approaches to media and digitalization, and an institutional approach that allows us to consider mass media as an element of global and national public administration. The use of digital resources reveals a key contradiction of traditionalism. On the one hand, they are seen as a symbol of postmodern simulacral reality and as a tool of globalization. On the other hand, digital media have become the main channel for their political activity. Traditionalists simultaneously criticize and instrumentalize the media space. The authors analyze the challenges posed by the media activity of traditionalists to state information policy: the threat of the spread of radical ideas; the growth of alternative online communities that compete with official political discourse; and the erosion of information sovereignty due to the control of key digital platforms by transnational corporations. The study concludes that the public administration system should respond to these challenges by regulating the Internet and developing its own media platforms.

Throughout human history, the developmental trajectories of states have repeatedly followed recognizable phases and cycles identified by scholars. Political regimes, power structures, and state institutions operate according to specific “rules of the game” shaped by the interplay of politics and public administration. The dichotomy between politics and administration - first articulated by political scientists in the second half of the 20th century - has revealed a foundational theoretical and conceptual tension: which domain is primary? The underlying premise of this distinction is that state activity is bifurcated into two functions - policy formulation and policy implementation. Transformations in states - evident in shifts across multiple policy domains, administrative-territorial reconfigurations, and institutional operational frameworks - can thus be legitimately conceptualized as politico-administrative transformations. These transformations, driven by dynamic interactions between political decision-making and administrative execution, constitute a critical subject of scholarly inquiry for forecasting the future trajectory of political systems and clarifying the roles of governance actors, subjects, and objects. Drawing upon established politico-economic schools of thought and synthesizing contemporary Russian experience, this study offers a conceptual overview of the theoretical foundations and methodological challenges involved in analyzing politico-administrative processes and systemic transformations, with a focus on modern Russia.

Ethical leadership has emerged as a key driver of employee engagement, particularly in the public sector, where unethical practices often weaken trust, reduce motivation, and compromise organizational performance. This study investigates the relationship between ethical leadership strategies and employee engagement in Ado/Odo Ota Local Government Council, Ogun State, Nigeria, while identifying the barriers to ethical leadership and strategies for strengthening workforce commitment. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Quantitative data were collected from 189 employees through structured questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained from semi-structured interviews with seven departmental heads and senior administrators. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 27, while thematic analysis of qualitative data was conducted with ATLAS.ti 25. The hypothesis that no significant relationship exists between ethical leadership strategies and employees’ engagement was tested using linear regression. Findings revealed that ethical leadership strategies explained 29.6% of the variance in employee engagement (R² = 0.296). Among the predictors, clear ethical guidelines and policies (β = 1.311, p < 0.05), continuous training in ethical practices (β = 0.592, p < 0.05), and enhanced transparency and accountability (β = 0.577, p < 0.05) were significant contributors to engagement, while recognition and incentives (β = 0.177, p > 0.05) showed no significant effect. The overall model was statistically significant (F = 19.234, p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. The study concludes that ethical leadership is crucial to enhancing employees’ engagement and, by extension, improving public sector performance. Strengthening ethical frameworks, institutionalizing continuous ethics training, and fostering transparency are critical strategies for local government reform. The study contributes to public administration theory by offering empirical evidence that ethical leadership fosters trust, accountability, and professionalism, enhancing employee engagement.