The asymmetry of development of coastal cities of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation

Abstract

The development of coastal cities in the Arctic zone is characterized by a heterogeneous level. Some urban settlements have high rates of economic growth, while others have sustained stagnation. Differentiation can be caused by various reasons, one of which is location. Study of asymmetry of development of coastal cities of the Arctic zone, allows to estimate the impact of the factor geographical location on the level of economic development. In the study, the object is the coastal regions of the Arctic zone of Russia, and the subject is the process of regional heterogeneity of these territories. The heterogeneity study is based on the convergence tool. This mechanism will allow to assess the possibility of convergence of territories on certain economic and social indicators. In the study, the coefficient of variation is calculated and analysis is carried out for compliance with the conditions of σ - convergence. Rosstat’s information base served as the main source of statistical data on coastal cities in the Arctic zone. The use of convergence allowed considering the coastal cities of the Arctic zone on separate economic and social indicators: population size, average monthly nominal accrued salary, investment in fixed capital. The built models of σ - convergence have shown that the process of reducing differences in these urban settlements is either not observed or economic prerequisites are needed to bring the territories closer together.