Purpose. Evaluation of the internal transformation resources of the industrial small cities environment according to the youth's opinion. Methods. The article analyzes data of the online survey which was conducted in 2018 with the support of the RFFR (project No. 17-22-07001 “A complex algorithm for cultural regeneration of small industrial cities (minor cities) in the context of the agglomeration processes in Russia and Europe”). The object of the research is the initiative youth of the Sverdlovsk region’ cities. Target sample (№-2844). The article analyzes opinions of youth from the four largest regional cities and those who live in small regional industrial cities. Results. Under the cultural regeneration of the territory, the article refers to the system of interaction between municipal authorities, citizens and specialists - the actions of all interested actors, aimed at restoring the functionality of historic important urban infrastructure facilities and spaces. The search for their semantic meaning (in traditional, everyday, factory, youth culture) corresponding to the actual urban culture and able to unfold in the new conditions through social practices of the citizens for the given territory. The authors analyzed their plans, intentions and judgments. The value of the industrial heritage and tourist attractiveness of small cities as resources of cultural regeneration of territories are estimated through the judgments of citizens’ youth. The study revealed that the uncertainty of the life plans of young people in small cities is an objective risk not only for the cultural regeneration programmers and projects, but it is a global risk for the future economic development of small cities. The youth of small towns does not estimate the industrial heritage of their cities as a valie. The invisibility of the industrial heritage in the information space and public consciousness is important research problem. It is also a problem of municipal government. Scientific novelty. The cultural regeneration of small cities in opinions of the youth is a new research problem.
