Assessing the Quality of the Russia's European North Economic Space

Abstract

В статье разрабатываются теоретико-методические положения оценки качества экономического пространства. Представлена авторская методика оценки качества экономического пространства, проведена ее апробация на примере регионов Европейского Севера России. В результате исследования установлено, что качество экономического пространства рассмотренных субъектов РФ имеет как ряд общих характеристик, так и некоторые отличия по показателям плотности населения, размещения экономической деятельности, а также по индикаторам связанности пространства и экономического развития территорий. The paper describes the approaches of the contemporary authors to assessing the quality of the regions economic space. The author's method for assessing the economic space quality by five blocks of indicators is presented in the paper: indicators of population density and economic activity; indicators of population distribution and economic activity; indicators of the territory economic development; indicators of connectivity and the level of transport infrastructure development; indicators of the level and quality of the population life. This method was tested by the example of the European North of Russia regions. The regions were ranked based on the rating, and the total rating for each block was compiled based on the sum of points. The Vologda oblast is the leader in the context of the population density and economic activity, it has the highest scores on all points except for the economic activity density indicator. In terms of population distribution and economic activity three regions scored the same number of points: the republics of Karelia and Komi, as well as the Vologda oblast. The leader of the rating in the sense of the territories economic development is the Murmansk region, which has the best results in the matter of investments in fixed assets and paid services. From the viewpoint of connectivity and the level of transport communication, the highest quality of economic space is in the Vologda region, and the lowest one is in the Republic of Komi. As regards the level and quality of the population life, the Murmansk region tops the list, and the Republic of Karelia closes the rating. The results of the study can be useful for public authorities in finding and identifying effective methods and tools to create a highquality economic space.