Best Practices of Spatial Development: Possibility of Using Them in the Municipal Districts of Russia

Abstract

Introduction. Adoption of the national strategy of spatial development in Russia has made it especially relevant to develop a scientifically grounded toolkit for managing spatial economic development at the municipal level. The objective of the study is to investigate the foreign best practices of spatial development and to assess their applicability when controlling the spatial economic development of the municipal districts of the Russian Federation, which are the principal type of municipalities in rural areas. Materials and Methods. The research was based on the comparative method, within the framework of which the best practices of foreign municipalities similar in some respects to the municipal districts of the Russian Federation were systematized. Empirical and theoretical studies, reports and guidance materials of international organizations, associations and foundations of the local level, as well as official websites of municipalities were used as materials for this research. Results. The systematized review of the best practices from the UK, Sweden, Germany, Italy and Slovenia has demonstrated that Russia’s municipal districts can use the following practices for their economic and spatial development: sharefarming, informal spatial planning, flexible transport solutions. Municipal districts can also involve digital technologies for conducting population surveys and collecting data about the municipality, design facilities that increase the attractiveness of the territory, as well use spatial planning to create decentralized concentration in suburbanized areas. The identified practices can be adopted to readjust the directions of the economic and spatial development of municipal districts, taking into account the level and trends of changes in such parameters of the economic space as saturation, coherence and physical basis. Discussion and Conclusion. The development of a municipality does not necessarily have to be aimed at increasing economic and other indicators through attracting investment and wealthy population, as well as through providing other incentives. The alternative objectives of spatial development can be: to maintain the current indicators and the territorial identity of the municipality, as well as to reduce its negative impact on the environmental situation. The results of the study can be used in the practical activities of regional and municipal authorities when developing and implementing strategic planning documents, as well as for further theoretical conceptualization of the process of economic and spatial development of municipalities.