Mental maps and representation of the city: Orenburg research experience

The article explores the potential of artistic representation of urban space using the method of mental maps — drawn images reflecting the perception of the urban environment through personal images and symbols. The need to focus on the formation of the city's identity and the specifics of its perception by residents as an important aspect of urban subjectivity is indicated. The paper proposes a typology of mental maps based on their artistic and emotional characteristics, which allows classifying maps by the ways of reflecting individual and collective ideas about urban space. The object of our research is the artistic representation of the city, which includes methods of visualization and symbolic display of the urban environment. Mental maps are the main research tool — a unique way of recording a subjective view of urban reality. Of particular interest is the study of mental maps with an emphasis on the artistic representation of the urban environment, where each image of the city becomes a creative interpretation reflecting personal perception and values. Using the city of Orenburg as an example, this study aims to identify key aspects that form specific images of the city and to develop a typology of mental maps based on their artistic and emotional characteristics. The methodological basis was the creation and analysis of mental maps of the city of Orenburg. The empirical base of the study also includes the results of a survey conducted among Orenburg residents. The novelty of the study includes the author's approach to interpreting mental maps of Orenburg from the point of view of their individuality and the construction of a typology that takes into account their role in the artistic representation of the city. The innovation lies in considering the mental maps obtained during the study as a unique artifact describing the space of the city and its inhabitants. The prospects include the potential of the proposed tools, including in connection with solving fundamental problems of understanding the specifics of the Orenburg space and its development. The article is aimed at studying mental maps as a key method of artistic representation of the urban environment, contributing to a deeper understanding of the city's identity. The study demonstrates how mind maps can serve as a tool for visualizing subjective experience and perception of a city, opening up new opportunities for studying its cultural and social specifics.