Urban sustainability in Russia's Arctic: lessons from a recent conference and areas for further investigations

Drawing on research presentations at a recent conference, this article presents a big picture overview of the factors determining urban sustainability in the Russian Arctic and lays out ideas for further study. It argues that there are two main drivers affecting the development of Russian Arctic cities: resource extraction and climate change. Russia's responses to these drivers work through a number of mechanisms, including evolving decision-making processes, demography and migration policies, and international cooperation in the Arctic. In the area of Arctic urban sustainability, Russia's leaders usually favor economic development over environmental protection while depriving city governments of the resources needed to address sustainability issues. The concluding section suggests avenues for further research designed to advance scholarly understanding and policy outcomes, including further refining our understanding of the drivers and policy-making process, comparative analysis, and focused case studies.