The article examines the impact of the epidemic situation in the region on the interaction of society with the environment. Changes in the image of vernacular urban areas on the example of the city of Khabarovsk, as well as in the nature of preferences of citizens regarding places of residence, employment and recreation based on the results of sociological surveys in 2017-2019 and 2020 were revealed. Among the criteria for choosing places for recreation, Khabarovsk residents note the presence of large spaces and the degree of control by law enforcement agencies in different areas. The assumptions and fears of respondents identified during the content analysis of the results of the 2020 survey that the most densely populated urban areas are most vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19 due to the number and density of the population are not confirmed at the meso-level: the largest percentage of infected people living in small settlements in the Khabarovsk territory.