Balanced Territorial Development Research Articles

An Ecosystem Approach to Balanced Territorial Development

Relevance. The problems of sustainable development of rural areas are extremely relevant nowadays, especially in the context of deepening localization and the increasing role of territorial and natural resources. research objective. The purpose of the article is to develop theoretical and methodological aspects of sustainable development of territories, encompassing rural areas with small urban settlements, based on the ecosystem approach to form a unified multi-level strategy for the development thereof. Method and data. The paper substantiates an application of the ecosystem approach to the development of rural areas in increasing the efficiency of rural businesses, budgetary spending through prioritization of state support recipients, stimulating sustainable development of enterprises and the industry, and increasing the consistency of regional economic policy. The conceptual foundations of this approach are presented, and an algorithm to select participants in a rural ecosystem is proposed. results. The proposed approach allows operationalizing self-organization processes in an ecosystem, ensuring a balance of interaction processes of its participants. The research results have contributed to solving the problem of territorial socio-economic ecosystem formation by proposing an algorithm to select target indicators for achieving sustainable development goals, taking into account the specifics and development trends of territories. Conclusions. The conclusions arising from the conducted research provide scientists, government bodies with the necessary information for a better understanding of practical mechanisms to provide balanced territorial development, ensure the move from fragmentary unsystematic measures of state support to effective differentiated and targeted regional policy of rural areas.

TERRITORIAL APPROACHES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF RURAL AREA

Territorial approaches are of crucial importance for the sustainable development and management of rural areas. The trend towards consolidating all stakeholders into a comprehensive understanding to enhance the territory's sustainability, and the idea of finding optimal solutions in the pursuit of opportunities for balanced territorial development, is a task with diverse answers depending on the resource potential and activity of local communities. The rural territories in Bulgaria have untapped potential, both in the use and protection of the available resources and their social economic development, as well as in the generation of additional income. Their sustainable development would contribute to achieving a balance between economic, social and environmental growth, as well as significantly improve the quality of life of the local population. The aim of the present study is to identify the integrated territorial approach for sustainable management and development of rural territories in the Republic of Bulgaria. Main groups of activities for achieving balanced territorial development are identified as factors for sustainable development of rural areas. The opinion is defended that an important condition for the integrated approach is for all participants in the process to be interested and successfully combine specific measures suitable for the integration and development of the territory. The implementation of appropriate tools and correct approaches for sustainable rural territory development requires careful analysis and selection of effective measures, depending on the specific characteristics of the location and the initiative of the local community. Although agricultural activity occupies a significant portion of the business in most of these areas, it is imperative to have an adequate policy for the development of additional activities that ensure economic prosperity and a higher standard of living for the local population and their employment. Therefore, in order to achieve three-dimensional sustainability (economic, ecological, social), it is more than necessary to have better interaction and coordination among all participants in the process and a holistic approach to the development and management of each specific territory, in accordance with its specific needs, opportunities, and optimal solutions. Each community can contribute to achieving the goals of sustainable development by 2030, and not only in a narrow scope, but also by contributing to the global challenges that modern society as a whole is facing. The choice of a model for increasing sustainability in the specific territory should be aimed at optimal utilization of regional resources, diversification in the functional use of the territory, optimal diversification of production and economic activities, environmentally friendly business practices and above all at effective interaction between institutions, local administration, business and local communities. Keywords: territorial approaches, rural areas, sustainable development and management JEL code – О13, О18, R13

The Role of State Control in the Implementation of Legislation on Local Self-Government

This study aims to identify and solve problems related to the implementation of legislation on local self-government through state control mechanisms. The current national legislation of Ukraine has several shortcomings in this area. The system of administrative courts is designed to resolve these issues. Control functions of the state about local self-government bodies can be subject to abuse of power, as evidenced by the lack of the expected efficiency. Moreover, the state currently exercises administrative, financial, parliamentary, and judicial control. It is proposed to single out public control as a separate form to eliminate the existing shortcomings of the practical application of the control functions of the state about local self-government. The lack of unity in the practice of applying the current rules of law on state control in this area shows that the problems related to the protection of local self-government bodies from state intervention have not been resolved. Local self-government bodies have only judicial means of protecting their independence from the state. This creates problems in ensuring balanced territorial development. Therefore, further research should focus on studying the possibilities of performing the control function in the field of local self-government not only by the state but also by the beneficiaries and civil society institutions.

Harmonious Human Settlements in the Light of the Principles of Ekistics

Confronted with mounting challenges such as rapid urbanization, global living disparities, climate change, natural disasters, the recent upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Ukrainian-Russian War, the United Nations and other international entities have redirected their focus towards fostering resilient, democratic, cohesive, sustainable, and digital societies. This paradigm shift necessitates a global partnership to conserve, protect, and restore the health and integrity of the Earth's ecosystem. Amid these complex issues, the Ekistics principles provide a comprehensive framework, advocating for harmonious urbanization and balanced territorial development. These principles prioritize the incorporation of ethical, social, environmental, and economic considerations into urban planning and governance processes. Nevertheless, critics argue that sustaining the capitalist system poses a challenge to achieving harmonious settlements, balanced urbanization, and the preservation of natural, environmental, and cultural values. This paper underscores the significance and relevance of Ekistics principles in shaping the discourse around Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It contends that revolutionary changes in globalization, communications technology, and industrial development mandate a reevaluation of existing approaches to address the most pressing global issues and their potential solutions. By highlighting the Ekistics principles, this article contributes to a nuanced understanding of the intricate dynamics shaping urban living in the contemporary era. The analysis aims to stimulate a reorientation of prevailing strategies and policies, fostering a more sustainable and harmonious trajectory for global urbanization.

РОЛЬ БЮДЖЕТОВ В УСТОЙЧИВОМ РАЗВИТИИ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ: ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОМ, СОЦИАЛЬНО-КУЛЬТУРНОМ, ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОМ

In the article the authors raise important questions about the role of budgets in the sustainable development of territories, because If budget expenditures are not included for measures to develop environmental, socio-cultural and economic issues then the goals of sustainable development of the territory and the economy as a whole cannot be achieved. The role of municipalities in sustainable development is being transformed in modern conditions and municipal finances are becoming not only the economic basis of local self-government, but also the political exchange «state-population». It seems that the role of budget sustainability in the balanced development of territories is also increasing. Analysis of the conceptual apparatus, approaches to assessing sustainable development and strategic planning documents allows us to draw a logical conclusion about the need to create unity in theoretical, methodological and legislative approaches to the issues of sustainable development of territories. Budget sustainability indicators are crucial in assessing the sustainable development of a territory. It is argued in the article that the development of the socio-cultural sphere should be the starting point for achieving sustainable development. It is essential to consider budget sustainability alongside other indicators to ensure long-term success and resilience in a territory’s development. By prioritizing the socio-cultural sphere, a holistic approach to sustainable development can be achieved, ensuring the well-being of current and future generations. Using the example of the implementation of state programs in the socio-cultural sphere and the strategy for the formation of «Smart» regions (using the example of St. Petersburg), the authors present a comprehensive analysis of the connection between sustainable development indicators and the sustainable budget of individual subjects of the Russian Federation and the state as a whole.

Transport logistics and its role in the balanced territorial development

Transport logistics as a complex system combining many organisational, technological, technical, and other elements is now becoming one of the fundamental factors in the development of any spatial socioeconomic system, since the criteria of success in modern activities are the quality, speed, reliability, continuity of the provision of production-technological, social, research and development and other processes with all the necessary resources, which can be ensured due to the presence of well-established transport infrastructure and logistics of its maintenance, which directly affects the socio-economic performance and the balance of territorial development. Remote territories feel the lack of transport infrastructure and logistics of their service which directly affects the socio-economic performance and violation of the territorial development balance. All of the above determines the relevance of the study of transport logistics in the context of its role in the balanced development of the territory. The purpose of the study is to analyse the role and place of transport logistics in the balanced development of the territory. The objectives of the study include generalisation of the terminological bases of the study of transport logistics of the territory; analysis of official statistics data on the state of the transport system of the region; study of the state of transport logistics and spatial location of priority projects to modernise the transport infrastructure of the region; identification of the role of transport logistics in the balanced development of territories. The methodological basis of the study is a set of general and private scientific methods, the use of which allows to achieve the goal of the study (methods of scientific knowledge, analytical, statistical).

СТРАТЕГІЧНА СПРЯМОВАНІСТЬ РОЗВИТКУ СІЛЬСЬКИХ ТЕРИТОРІЙ

The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the functioning of rural territories. Their important role in the development of the national economy of Ukraine and its regions is outlined, which is primarily related to ensuring the country's food security and the production of ecologically clean (organic) food products. The author substantiates an integrated approach to the use of influence factors, in particular, natural resource, socio-ecological, economic, and human potential, which are interde-pendent and complementary and are aimed at ensuring a balanced development of rural territories and efficient agricultural management. It has been found that, in addition to the mentioned factors, an im-portant role is played by infrastructural support, the geographical location of rural areas, that is, their proximity to the borders with the member states of the European Union. It has been proven that, the implementation of an integrated approach to ensuring the balanced development of rural territories will help to overcome, and possibly level the differentiation in the development of local areas at both the regional and national levels. Attention is focused on the need to outline strategic prospects for the de-velopment of rural territories for a long-term period. However, nowadays, in the context of unpredicta-ble events and external influences, first of all, the state of war, there is a need to distinguish conceptual approaches to ensuring the balanced development of rural areas in accordance with the formed devel-opment strategy, but with the possibility of adjusting its individual aspects in real time. The process of forming an effective socio-bio-ecological-economic system within the framework of rural development needs to be intensified, which in the context of decentralization should include approaches to overcoming the differentiation of territorial and spatial development, taking into account the specifics and characteristics of individual regions. There is a need for interaction between the au-thorities, the community and interested persons with the possibility for the latter to independently make important decisions at the local level, i.e. within the bounds of the United Territorial Communities (UTCs), where each member of the community can make their own proposals for solving problematic issues of rural development. Attention is focused on the actualization of strategic approaches to ensuring balanced rural de-velopment, among which the management component, diversification of the rural economy, the for-mation of an optimal rural settlement network and improving the reproducibility of the population, so-cial protection of the rural population, improving living conditions and the quality of life of rural residents, improving their well-being are important and well-being, transport accessibility to peripheral areas, increasing the level of employment, in particular self-employment of the rural population in priority types of economic activity with the possibility of forming co-branding alliances.

Strategic approach to the territorial distribution of EAFRD projects

Background: The implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union aims at a balanced territorial development and economic convergence of the rural areas. However, in some cases, EU rural funding didn't manage to reduce the gaps between regions, but quite the contrary, the wealthiest regions attracted most of the resources. Purpose: The main objective of the paper was to assess whether EAFRD funding reached the most vulnerable areas. This is a measure of the contribution of CAP to economic convergence. Study design/methodology/approach: Cluster analysis was performed on Galaţi County in Romania. The analysis was performed at LAU level, considering four variables: population, poverty, agricultural area and the value of implemented EAFRD projects. Findings/conclusions: The analysis concluded five clusters, with poorer areas receiving less funding, calling for better development strategies, focused on the central, northern and northeastern parts of the county, where these areas are concentrated. Also, territorial reorganization of rural areas may be necessary in some cases, in order to address the uneven development and poverty. Limitations/future research: The present research focused only on EAFRD funding related to agricultural exploitations. For more precise conclusions and recommendations, further research will also need to include other EAFRD submeasures.

Formation of an effective strategy for the development of the region under the conditions of european economic integration

Taking into account the processes of European integration of Ukraine, the study of regional strategies becomes especially important for solving the problems of the development of Ukrainian regions and supporting their competitiveness. The topic of regional development attracts significant attention of scientific researchers, as it requires the study and analysis of various factors affecting the processes of regional development, and the formation of scientifically based strategies to achieve optimal results. This topic is considered in various contexts, which contributes to the expansion of theoretical and practical knowledge about regional development and its constituent elements. Studying the regional policy of the European Union will give Ukraine the opportunity to gain valuable experience and knowledge for the development and implementation of its own regional strategy. By applying the practices of the European Union, Ukraine will be able to stimulate regional development, ensure social and economic stability, and increase the competitiveness of its regions. The main goal of this study is to analyze the problem of regional policy formation based on the principles used in the European Union. To achieve this goal, the work sets the following goals: to thoroughly investigate the aspects of the European Union's cohesion policy, to consider the main principles and priorities underlying the cohesion policy, such as increasing competitiveness, sustainable management of resources and ensuring the balanced development of territories. Also, study current areas of project financing, find out which areas and industries receive financial support from the European Union in order to promote regional development. Consider in detail the funding mechanisms and programs that contribute to the implementation of regional strategies. It was found that in the conditions of European economic integration, the regional development strategy is a necessary tool for achieving sustainable development of regions. One of the key aspects of this strategy is the application of the regional policy of the European Union, which can serve as a valuable experience for the formation of regional strategies in Ukraine. The regional policy of the EU is based on the principles of cooperation, rapprochement and support of different regions, which contributes to their development and ensuring more uniform economic growth. This approach involves the development of specific strategies and programs at the level of regions, taking into account their characteristics, potential and needs. It was also found that the regional policy of the EU cannot be a direct model for Ukraine, since the countries have different contextual conditions and features. However, Ukrainian regions can use the EU experience to adapt and implement their own regional strategies.

Възможности за устойчиво развитие на туристическата суперструктура в селските територии

The development of the tourism superstructure in rural areas is a driving force for the diversification of opportunities for economic progress in rural areas. On the one hand, it provides opportunities for sustainability in a rural area by using its resources for agricultural purposes. On the other hand, there is a prospect for the realization of alternative forms of tourism business. This paper examines some opportunities for development in the direction of sustainability of the tourism superstructure in rural areas in order to integrate and balanced territorial development.

The Current State of Territorial Development of ASEAN Countries and Strategic Types for Balanced Development

ASEAN countries are promoting regionally balanced development in their policy in response to development disparity resulting from rapid urbanization. This study aims to draw strategic approaches for balanced development based on the current status of territorial development of the ASEAN countries. Through the lens of Korea’s territorial development experience, this study presents three strategic types for balanced territorial development and an analysis framework to connect the strategic types and the territorial conditions of ASEAN countries. This study analyzes the current status from five aspects: (1) the current status of urbanization and industrialization, (2) the size distribution of cities, (3) the spatial structure of the territories, (4) the state of regional development, and (5) balanced development visions and territorial policies. Based on the analysis results, this study categorizes the ASEAN countries that exhibit similar territorial development and applies the strategic types. This study derives policy measures suitable to each strategic type that will help the ASEAN countries to facilitate balanced development in accordance with their territorial state.

Border Settlements of Kazakhstan as an Impulse to Balanced Territorial Development

The article is devoted to the development of the border territories of Kazakhstan, in particular, the study of the border territories of settlements of the North Kazakhstan region. The author presents his own vision of the development of border depressive regions and develops proposals for improving state policy and management of regional development of territorial spaces. An organizational and institutional mechanism for the development of border territories based on the formation of special economic zones as investment and innovation platforms for the development of production and infrastructure facilities is proposed. The problem with the formation of such special zones is the lack of economic resources consisting of production and human potential. The Northern macroregion has great potential in the development of the agro-industrial complex, however, the lack of human resources, due to large migration to neighboring regions of Russia and other regions of Kazakhstan, as well as the deterioration of the socioeconomic situation of the population, due to a lack of investment and budgetary resources, environmental problems can lead to the extinction of many settlements of the North Kazakhstan region. The solution to such problems, while remaining the prerogative of the state, requires their solution at the present moment. The development should be based on cross-border cooperation of neighboring countries based on the modeling of foreign economic relations based on the functional features of borders in the new conditions of cross-border and integration interaction of countries.

Assessment of the relationship between inequality, income and economic growth in the regions of Kazakhstan

This paper aims to analyze various indicators to explain the impact of inequality and income on economic growth at the regional level of Kazakhstan. The data collected from the Bureau of National Statistics from 1995 to 2020 examined the impact of country, interregional, and market inequality indices and real income/wage on the GRP of different regions. Applying the methods such as analysis of unique statistical data covering 16 regions of Kazakhstan and log-linear multivariate regression analysis, which was carried out using the STATA software package, evidence was provided on the influence of interregional, country inequality, and income on economic growth. The analysis showed the differential impact of inequality and income. It was found at the first stage that the gap between interregional inequality and country inequality is insignificant. It was identified at the second stage that in models with real incomes, an increase in income has a negative impact on the development of the economy of Kazakhstan. All the models obtained are consistent and have (although not very high) significant explanatory power and confirm the relationship between inequality and economic growth. The findings can help policymakers, regionalists, economists, and governmental bodies understand the importance of income inequality and which areas can contribute to the formation of effective regional policy. AcknowledgmentsThe study was carried out within the framework of program targeted IRN OR11465433 funding by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Development of the concept and mechanisms of balanced territorial development of the economy and society of Kazakhstan”.

Food supply of the population of the Republic of Kazakhstan: current trends and potential opportunities

The study was conducted within the framework of program-targeted funding by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Development of the concept and mechanisms for balanced territorial economic and social development of Kazakhstan." The topic of this article is updated by the strategic importance of the country's food security, due to the level of food industry development, as well as the validity of food exports. The goal is to analyze the balance of the needs of the republic with volume of production of socially significant products of food industry and its grouping by self-sufficiency categories. Methods – abstract-logical, monographic, graphic, comparative analysis, grouping. Results – the study is aimed at analyzing the dynamics of the level of self-sufficiency of social products in terms of the needs of domestic market, production, imports and exports. The factors influencing on the growth and decline in the supply of domestic food have been identified. To identify the degree of strength of meeting the demand for groups of goods, they were grouped into categories adopted in accordance with the methodological recommendations on the system of indicators for assessing the degree of physical and economic accessibility to sufficient safe food in the CIS countries in quantitative terms. The presented results of grouping make it possible to determine changes in the structure of provision of domestic market with socially significant food products. Conclusions – the authors identified special commodity groups according to the degree of satisfaction of the internal needs of the population; a number of organizational and economic solutions that are of interest to public and departmental authorities are proposed, as well as management of processing enterprises. The results of the developments can be used in formation of policy documents on development of food industry in Kazakhstan.

TRENDS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT OF COASTAL TERRITORIES OF LARGE CITIES

Modern tendencies in architectural and landscape design of coastal territories of large and significant cities of the world are considered. The functional zoning of coastal areas of large cities in historical development is analyzed. The basic principles of revitalization of coastal areas in the formation of new watersheds are outlined. The directions of the planning organization of building of coastal territories of cities are established. For each city located near water bodies, the connection with them determined the historical development of the city, structure and architectural appearance, cultural traditions and way of life, typology and status of urban spaces. Today the problems of ecology, quality of the urban environment, optimization of infrastructure, balanced development of territories come to the fore. The study of the functional and planning structure of the coast of major cities of the world has identified the main urban features of coastal development. On the examples of implemented design solutions, an analysis of the volumetric and functional solution of the studied territories was carried out. Traced modern architectural trends, the latest trends in the world of innovative building technologies used in the reconstruction, revitalization and construction of embankments. As the analysis of world practice shows, today the urban type of coastal territories as a whole dominates. This is due to the loss in the process of urban development of the natural properties of the landscape in its natural state, and the need to take into account a number of factors of the architectural environment. Some facilities are places of mass use and their uneven placement in the coastal area is the cause of seasonal traffic and pedestrian traffic. Some principles are formed at the conclusion.

Karachay-Cherkessia – international landscape and geoecological landfill

Landscape and geoecological study served a response to global climate change and the threat of a global environmental crisis. The scientists of the Teberdinsky State Biosphere Reserve, Stavropol State University and the Department of Natural Geography of Karachay-Cherkess State University made the greatest contribution to the development of this sphere. Modern study on geology, geography, biology, toponymy, geomorphology, geoecology was conducted, an improved methodology for assessing the degree of anthropogenic impact on the natural environment was proposed, GIS technologies were mastered and introduced into the education and research. In 2019, the 1st International Conference was held in Karachaevsk, the main principle of which was the concept of balanced development of mountain territories.

The Current State of the Finnish Cottage Phenomenon: Perspectives of Experts

To date, studies that provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the cottage in Finland are lacking in the literature. This paper explored this phenomenon, which has great cultural and economic importance for Finland, through interviews from the perspective of experts. Key findings based on main themes including cottage buyers, characteristics of the dream cottage, diversified cottages, the regulation of cottages in municipalities, and challenges in the regulation of cottages, highlighted that: (1) cottage buyers were reported to be mostly in their 50s and wealthy; (2) buyers were in high demand for easy solutions and cottages with a similar level of equipment to a primary home; (3) environmental issues were considered interesting, but buyers primarily paid attention to the cleanliness of the nature and especially the body of water surrounding their cottage; (4) distance to the cottage and closest services were deciding factors, and there was greater demand for waterfront cottages; (5) popular cottage sizes varied widely, and the diversification was among the highlights; (6) while changes in use were possible under certain circumstances, sewage and wastewater regulation, and sizing of beach construction were considered challenging. It is believed that this paper will contribute to the balanced territorial development of cottages in Finland and the vitality of cottage-rich municipalities.

Assessing the relationship between non-cash payments and various economic indicators

This study is aimed at evaluating the correlation between determinants of non-cash payments (ATMs, number of bank branches, and number of mobile phone users) and various economic indicators (broad money, inflation, consumer prices) as well as further studying which of the factors and to what extent influence each other in different periods. Non-cash payments are provided by ATMs. The sample considers panel data on nine developing countries. The data for calculation were taken from The World Bank, for Kazakhstan – from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The data collected during the study were analyzed using the SPSS software. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used. The results obtained in the empirical study briefly showed that the alternative hypothesis is confirmed for the period 2004–2009 (that the existing relationships are significant), at the same time, the null hypothesis was confirmed in terms of the level of significance for the period 2019–2020. Accordingly, this study showed that modern developments differ from those provided earlier and financial technology transformation is still in the process. The results of this study also indicated the need for further studies of non-traditional measures of financial development, which can lead to sustainable economic growth in the post-crisis period. AcknowledgmentsThe study was carried out within the framework of program targeted IRN OR11465433 funding by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Development of the concept and mechanisms of balanced territorial development of the economy and society of Kazakhstan”.

National Infrastructure as a Factor of U.S. Economic Development

The economic development of the United States in modern conditions meets many challenges, among which the state of the infrastructure of the economy and the country as a whole is of the greatest importance. Infrastructure determines the sustainability of economic growth, the balanced development of states and territories, strengthens the unity of the country's economic space and the foundations of its competitiveness on the world stage. The article shows how the parameters and content of the infrastructure are changing in the coming century, supplemented by the information and communication component and the growing requirements of environmental protection. All this puts on the agenda the solution of both practical and theoretical issues. On the one hand, huge investments are required for the renewal and development of infrastructure, and on the other - the search and justification of the optimality of the new infrastructure and methods of its measurement.

ՀՀ տնտեսության ագրարային հատվածի տեղաբաշխումը եվ մասնագիտացումը դրա տարածքային համաչափ զարգացման համատեքստում/Placement and Specialization of the Agrarian Sector of the RA Economy in the Context of its Balanced Territorial Development

The paper clarifies not only the great diversity of natural and economic conditions created in small areas in conditions of severe relief and severe surface fragmentation, but also the spatial development of multi-sectoral economy, many macroeconomic factors: In this context, the further development of rural areas is possible only after a radical change in the budget policy of the state in terms of their financial support, after the development of public-private partnership through more active state regulation of these issues. So far, destructive demographic processes are prevalent in the village. It is impossible to disagree with them, as evidenced by statistics on the decline of the rural population and the increase of abandoned rural areas. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the most important documents of strategic importance for the balanced territorial development of the republic, which have been adopted recently, have not received the required level of clarification. If the possible development of the third sector of the agri-food system is not taken into account in time for the development of the concept, strategy and scheme of the territorial organization of the agrarian sector, considering the coordination of joint actions for the justified placement and specialization of agri-food production of the EEU member states, it will negatively influence the balanced development of rural areas.