Tools to stimulate the creation of amalgamated territorial communities based on the cities of oblast significance

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Existing instruments to stimulate the creation of urban ATCs on the basis of the cities of oblast significance are examined, including financial subventions for infrastructure development, intermunicipal cooperation, voluntary consolidation of territorial communities with the cities of oblast significance, public-private partnership. Major incentives to use intermunicipal cooperation and advantages of consolidation of territorial communities with the cities of oblast significance are defined based on the list of cooperation agreements concluded between the cities of oblast significance. The fact that financial and staff resources are the major additional resources obtained from consolidation with COS for a rural community and spatial and infrastructural – for a city is verified. Substantial increase of the area for an urban ATC contributes to activation of entrepreneurship and investment capacity of cities and improvement of spatial planning in the perspective, leading to post-industrial agglomeration, strengthening of spatial and institutional cohesion of population, etc. Despite the positive aspects of forming of ATCs on the basis of the cities of oblast significance, some problems faced in rushed consolidation are outlined, namely the non-compliance with the criteria of the methodics of ATCs forming, shown in deformation of location of the community center and incompact configuration, which should be considered and compensated at this stage of decentralization. Small towns with adjoined communities of suburban area prevail among the cities of oblast significance due to the fact that they prevail among other urban settlements (82 small towns of oblast significance) and due to substantial growth of financial resource, which requires new areas for investment and infrastructural projects and creation of new jobs. Main incentives and obstacles for further successful consolidation of rural and town territorial communities with the cities of oblast significance are defined. Recommendations for further development of cities of oblast significance in the context of three groups of the cities of oblast significance existing at current decentralization stage are suggested and perspectives of organization of the communities’ economic activity in order to strengthen their financial capacity are outlined.