Social Problems and Development Prospects for Satellite Towns in the Kazan Metropolitan Area: Residents' and Experts' Perspectives

This article examines the key social problems and development prospects of satellite towns within the Kazan metropolitan area. The focus is on identifying the everyday problems faced by residents of small towns and the institutional barriers identified by experts. The objective of the study is to identify the key challenges and opportunities for integrating satellite towns into the agglomeration structure by comparing the views of the public and the expert community. Materials and methods: analysis of scientific literature, semi-structured interviews with residents of three Kazan satellite towns, and interviews with industry experts. The study revealed differences in the perception of priorities between residents and experts: residents focus on everyday problems, while experts are focused on strategic, infrastructural, and institutional development. A conclusion was reached regarding the need to strengthen interaction between the agglomeration center and peripheral territories. A number of proposals and growth areas were identified based on the expert survey.