Governance and land use decision-making in Russian cities and regions

Abstract

Using results of an elite survey from the late 1990s, this study examines various arguments to explain the roots of the slow pace of land marketisation in Russia. These include three arguments that focus in turn on structural impediments, resource generation opportunities provided by land ownership, and domineering local governments. The study also analyses two other explanations of spatial differences: the impact of local economic and demographic structure and urban governance. Findings offer some support for each of the dominant approaches but little evidence to support the importance of local economic structure. However, an analysis of governance and social practices are found to be useful in highlighting the relationship between beliefs, practices, and land allocation.