Зонирование территории России на основе региональных особенностей изменения численности городского населения в период с 1989 по 2020 г.

Abstract

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to a change in the settlement system of the population, including urban ones. This was due to the socio-economic transformations that were taking place at the time. As a result, the process of megacity urbanization has been actively ongoing, with the concentration of people in large cities and regional capitals being a key feature. This has had a significant impact on the current state of Russia's urban landscape, and there is a need for further research into these processes. To better understand the current situation and potential future directions for the urban structure of the country, statistical analysis methods were used to analyze population dynamics in all Russian cities from 1989 to 2020. To visualize the data obtained, a cartographic method was used and areas of population growth or decline in cities were identified. The country is divided into nine regions, with six regions seeing an increase in urban population (Southwest, Northwestern, Central, Volga-Ural, Southern, and Siberian) and three regions seeing a decrease (Asian, European, and South Siberian). Over the period under consideration, the settlement pattern of urban areas has changed, with polarization increasing (between cities and rural areas, as well as between large cities and small cities), and regional inequalities deepening. However, there are also opportunities to overcome these negative trends through the implementation of an active regional policy, the promotion of new employment opportunities in remote areas, and the provision of social support to the population.