This article is devoted to the theme of urban environment, in particular to the question how young people perceive urban spaces. Authors use the theory of environmental determinism to explain why some spaces in completely different cities are more attractive to young citizens than others. According to the results of a sociological survey, focus groups with young people from Yekaterinburg (Russia), Timisoara (Romania) and Gyumri (Armenia) were allocated meeting places for young citizens in every city. For the analysis, the architecture and history of three urban public spaces located in each city and their distinctive characteristics were considered in detail. It was found that the most popular places in the survey have similar features, these are open spaces located in the central and historical parts of cities. They provide multifunctional content, they are surrounded by a variety of diverse buildings, they are part of the daily routes of many citizens and are used as platforms for various urban-scale events.