Macro-regional Level Research Articles

РАЗВИТИЕ МУНИЦИПАЛЬНОЙ ПРОБЛЕМАТИКИ В ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЙ ПРОСТРАНСТВЕННОЙ ПОЛИТИКЕ РОССИИ

In the coming years, it is necessary to develop a new strategy for the spatial development of Russia and continue to elaborate the state spatial policy, within the framework of which there should be an increase in the importance of municipal issues. From the author’s point of view, this will be possible when solving a number of conceptual and applied problems. This is a clear articulation of a multi–scale approach in state spatial policy in general and in relation to the formation of the settlement system in particular - a clear statement of goals and objectives at the level of macro-regions, regions (subjects of the Russian Federation), municipalities, determining the balance of these partly inevitably contradictory goals. In order to justify the decisions taken, it is important to radically advance the quality of municipal statistics: the approval of the official methodology for calculating the gross municipal product, the active use of the resources of the Federal Tax Service, ensuring comparability of data on municipalities and subjects of the Russian Federation. In order to transform municipalities into real subjects of spatial development, it is necessary to study, within the framework of the upcoming reform of local self- government, the issues of differentiation of the powers of local self-government bodies of municipalities of different population and type, the expansion of the powers of local authorities, especially large and largest cities, as well as issues of management and strategic planning in urban agglomerations. As part of the development of measures of state support for the development of rural areas and small towns, the author suggests paying special attention to the issues of motorization of the population.

БАЗИДИАЛЬНЫЕ МАКРОМИЦЕТЫ НА ОСОБО ОХРАНЯЕМЫХ ПРИРОДНЫХ ТЕРРИТОРИЯХ ХАБАРОВСКОГО КРАЯ

To date, the results of studying the species diversity of fungi – basidial macromycetes for five protected areas of the Khabarovsk Territory have been published. 711 species have been recorded in the Bolshekhekhtsirsky Reserve, 245 – in Botchinsky, 133 – in Bureinsky, 367 – in Komsomolsky, and 390 – in Anyui National Park. Rare (protected) species were noted in each of the studied protected areas. An assessment of the degree of knowledge of mycobiots using various approaches showed that if mycological research is continued in any large protected area of the Khabarovsk Territory, there is a significant potential for replenishing the species list and interesting finds, including at the regional and macro regional levels.

Performance of Subnational Governments in the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of the Public and Private Health Services in Brazil

This article analyzes the differences between public and private health services regarding infrastructure and human resources at the state (subnational) and macro-regional levels in Brazil. The research collected monthly data on inpatient beds and the number of nurses, physiotherapists, and doctors from Brazilian states for 2020. Indicators were created following quarterly changes and comparing the actions of public and private healthcare entities. Variations were analyzed using temporal graphs based on means and standard deviation. The findings suggest: (1) exponential growth in health care infrastructure and human resources led by public sector investment in the second quarter, followed by a slowdown; (2) a more significant variation in the acceleration and deceleration of the public sector response in the North of Brazil and the states of Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte, and the Federal District; (3) the public sector was the primary response mechanism to the pandemic considering the variations throughout the year. The study concludes that the government was the leading actor in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil in 2020, pointing out that responses were uneven in the states.

Export of Transport Services: Russian Far East

The article analyzes the dynamics of the key components of the export of transport services at the national and regional levels. It is shown that despite the negative impact of restrictions during the spread of the pandemic in 2019-2020, there is an increase in the export of transport services of the Russian Federation. The growth of the indicator is due to the increase in revenues from freight transportation. The regional cross-section is presented on the example of the Russian Far East. At the macro-regional level, the share of transport in the total export of services is significantly (1.8 times) higher than the national average. The main contribution to the formation of the indicator of the macroregion is made by Primorsky Krai (7.5%). The key seaports of the Pacific coast of Russia are located here. Three directions for the development of the export of transport services in the Far East are presented: 1) servicing export-import flows outside the national territory, 2) transit traffic, 3) participation in the international market of transport services. For each direction, the growth opportunities and restrictions on the export of transport services were assessed. With the use of comparative analysis methods, it is argued that the most promising is the service of cargo flows of the national economy. Prospects are related, among other things, to the implementation of the Northern Sea Transport Corridor project and the formation of a system of reference seaports for Arctic routes in the macroregion. It is shown that transit traffic will not play a significant role in the growth of exports of transport services in the Far East. The negative impact of infrastructural and economic factors on the competitiveness of international transport corridors passing through the territory of the east of the country has been revealed. The limitations of the direct participation of the transport complex of the Far Eastern Federal District in the international market are argued, which include features of the structure of the economy and insufficient development of the elements of the transport complex. The results of the work can serve as a basis for developing measures to develop the export of transport services.

Speciális régiótípusok az Európai Unió regionális egyenlőtlenségeiben

n the regional policy of the European Union, the importance of regional typologies linked to specific geographical elements has varied over the past decades. This article shows that since the 1990s the role of these specific regional typologies, and thus of regional characteristics, in European regional policy has been declining. However, the analysis of a wide range of socio-economic data reveals that some types of regions (sparsely populated regions, outermost regions, external border regions) are in a particularly unfavourable socio-economic situation, while others may need specific support not at European but at macro-regional level (for example, the coastal regions of the Mediterranean). The article concludes that, although the value of GDP per capita is indeed only marginally explained by the different regional typologies, broadening the concept of underdevelopment and recognising macro-regional challenges could be a priority for the European Union.

Identity in the Political Constructions of Modernity: Editorial Introduction

L.A. Fadeeva is the author of numerous publications and key co-author of fundamental encyclopedias published by the Russian Academy of Sciences (Identity: The Individual, Society and Politics. An Encyclopedia, 2017) and the Russian Political Science Association (Trends and problems of the development of Russian political science in the global context: Tradition, reception and innovation, 2018), representing the leading scientific school for identity studies in Russia (see: Perm School of Political Science: Sources, Development, Content, 2019), who has served multiple times as guest editor for the thematic issues of the best Russian political science journals on this topic (Political science (RU), 2020, No. 4). In this introductory article, our guest editor L.A. Fadeeva presents the materials of the current issue of our journal, interpreting their cross-cutting themes as the politicization of the non-political through the prism of identity processes at the macro-regional, regional and national levels.

Creating futures images for sustainable cruise ships: Insights on collaborative foresight for sustainability enhancement

The aim of the study was to explore futures images of collaborative sustainability enhancement within a cruise ship building network. Addressing collaborative sustainability at the organizational level rather than at the macro (regional or planetary) level, the paper explores socially constructed and shared futures images, which are less widely studied than individual-level images of the future. We advance an analytical model for constructing and evaluating collectively held futures images based on the structure and content of those images. From our data, we identified four futures images: Money rules; The customer is always right; Local economy focus; and The most sustainable ships in the world. From the perspective of collaborative sustainability enhancement, we contend that futures images can provide a basis for target-setting and a frame for sustainability enhancement actions.

Advanced Machine Learning Functionalities in the Medium Voltage Distributed Monitoring System QuEEN: A Macro-Regional Voltage Dips Severity Analysis

This paper presents the integration of advanced machine learning techniques in the medium voltage distributed monitoring system QuEEN. This system is aimed to monitor voltage dips in the Italian distribution network mainly for survey and research purposes. For each recorded event it is able to automatically evaluate its residual voltage and duration from the corresponding voltage rms values and provide its “validity” (invalidating any false events caused by voltage transformers saturation) and its “origin”(upstream or downstream from the measurement point) by proper procedures and algorithms (current techniques). On the other hand, in the last years new solutions have been proposed by RSE to improve the assessment of the validity and origin of the event: the DELFI classifier (DEep Learning for False voltage dips Identification) and the FExWaveS + SVM classifier (Features Extraction from Waveform Segmentation + Support Vector Machine classifier). These advanced functionalities have been recently integrated in the monitoring system thanks to the automated software tool called QuEEN PyService. In this work, intensive use of these advanced techniques has been carried out for the first time on a significant number of monitored sites (150) starting from the data recorded from 2018 to 2021. Besides, the comparison between the results of the innovative technique (validity and origin of severe voltage dips) with respect to the current ones has been performed at the macro-regional level too. The new techniques are shown to have a not negligible impact on the severe voltage dips number and confirm a non-homogenous condition among the Italian macro-regional areas.

The organizational and functional model of innovative transformation of regional transport and logistics systems

The purpose of the paper is to substantiate an organizational and functional model of innovative transformation of regional transport and logistics systems. Methodology. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is the scientific works of scientists in the study of an organizational and functional model of innovative transformation of regional transport and logistics systems. To achieve the goal set in the paper, the following research methods were used: a system analysis to systematize the organizational and functional model of innovative transformation of regional transport and logistics systems; methods of statistical analysis to determine the share of the use of IT technologies in enterprises by type of economic activity "Transport, warehousing. Postal and courier activities"; for the distribution of transport and logistics enterprises by technological innovations, % to the total number of enterprises with technological innovations in 2016-2018. Results. The paper discovered that the development of warehousing logistics is primarily a business problem and the state and regional policy in the field of transport, logistics, innovation and investment has a significant impact on the development and innovative development of warehousing systems. Thus, it is important to pay more attention to the mechanisms of implementation of international standards and norms in the areas of customs control, technical and service standards, information security, technology transfer and other normative documents, their unification with those in force in the EU, which will accelerate the integration of transport and logistics systems and promote the rapid introduction of innovations. The organizational and functional model of innovative transformation of regional transport and logistics systems is substantiated, which specifies the distribution of tasks and priorities innovation and development of warehousing logistics with their distribution at the macro level, regional level and sectoral level. The definition of main functions and expected effects will promote the intensification of innovative development, engineering and reengineering of warehouses and transport and logistics entities in general and the construction of modern logistics centers that will provide high-quality services using the latest technologies. Practical tasks. At the regional level, it is important to build effective communication with the business environment, simplify and optimize regulatory activities, improve the business climate and develop mechanisms to stimulate investment in the development of transport and logistics systems, especially in poor areas. Prospects for further research. Economic substantiation of investment support for the development of regional transport and logistics systems.

Spatial Shift-Share Analysis as a Tool for Studying the Economic Development of Russia’s Macroregions

Structural analysis of regional economies plays a significant role in political decision-making. In the context of Russian regional development, a new research topic emerges at the level of economic macroregions as defined in the current Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation. The present work aims to empirically evaluate the use of shift-share analysis to clarify the contribution of the neighbourhood effect in addition to national and regional growth factors. The proposed approach incorporates structural shifts of spatial interactions into the classical method using various matrices (adjacency, neighbourhood). Macroregional economic growth was decomposed on the basis of consolidated sectoral structural dynamics and national development stages from 2004–2018 to reveal specific features of structural growth. It was determined that the most significant effects at all stages are those generated by national economic policy. Regional effects are especially important for macroregions whose development is characterised by substantial state support combined with an adequate resource base. Negative values of the spatial sectoral shift persisting across all macroregions testify to the positive mutual influence of macroregional specialisation and intensified interregional cooperation. Sectoral effects were observed only for particular economic sectors or at certain macroregional development stages. Recommendations for strengthening interregional interactions are proposed on the basis of the enlarged typology of structural effects in macroregions. Comparative analysis confirmed the consistency of estimates obtained using standard and spatial shift-share methods. Future research will focus on clarifying the structure of spatial relationships and detailing actual interregional economic interactions in the form of products and goods exchanged between macroregions.

The New World Architectonics, Macroregional Transformations of Potentially Global Character and the Significance of Chinese Experience

The world becomes polycentric, but the theoretical foundations of this state of affairs remain not fully explained yet. The necessity to create a national-oriented theory of international relations is proclaimed. The question of a possibility of «tightening» macroregions in the form of a «Greater Eastern Asia» and «Greater Eurasia» is raised as well as the transformations of China being at least an influencing factor at the macroregional level with consequences of potentially global significance. It is possible to hypothesize that specifics of a megatrend of regional transformations of potentially global character may be connected with a rise of China to a global level and risks and consequences of this process. Since China has internal and external challenges, further development will be dependent on the level of China’s integration into world processes as well as wills, perspectives, and consequences of other states’ involvement in the orbit of common political-economic interests, humanistic nature of these processes as well as reactions of the world to them.

Impact of sociodemographic factors on the consumption of tubers in Brazil

BackgroundAlthough tubers play a significant role in Brazilian agriculture, very little is known about the intake of tubers among the Brazilian population. The objective of this study was to characterize the intake of tubers across Brazil. The types of tubers consumed were quantified, and the impact of geographic and sociodemographic factors was assessed.MethodsThis cross-sectional study is based on dietary intake data of 33,504 subjects obtained from the Brazilian National Dietary Survey. All tuber containing foods were identified, and the contribution of different tubers to overall tuber consumption in Brazil was quantified. Descriptive analyses assessed the impact of macroregion and sociodemographic characteristics on tuber consumption, and differences in intake were assessed using statistical tests. Lastly, the dietary intakes of tuber consumers and non-consumers were compared after adjusting for energy and covariates to determine if there were any major differences in dietary intakes between the two groups.ResultsFifty-five percent of the Brazilian population consumed tubers, which differed by macroregion. The intake of tubers among consumers also differed between macroregions. Overall, rural areas reported significantly higher mean daily intakes of tubers (122 g/day) among tuber consumers than urban areas (95 g/day). Mandioca and potato were the most commonly consumed tubers (59 and 43% prevalence, respectively, on any of the 2 days), while the highest daily intakes amongst tuber consumers across Brazil were noted for sweet potato (156 g/day) and potato (95 g/day). On a macroregion level, among tuber consumers, mandioca had the highest prevalence of consumption in the North (94%), Northeast (83%), and Central-West (68%), while consumption of potatoes was most prevalent in the Southeast (63%) and South (62%). Compared to women, small but significantly higher tuber intakes were noted for males (108 vs. 85 g/day). There were no significant differences in intakes among income quintiles. After adjusting for energy and other covariates, nutrient intakes between tuber and non-tuber consumers were not meaningfully different, with the exception of sodium (+ 6.0% comparing non-tuber to tuber consumers), iron (+ 6.1%), zinc (+ 5.7%), vitamin C (+ 8.3%), riboflavin (+ 9.0%), and folate (+ 7.9%).ConclusionsTuber consumption is influenced by regional and sociodemographic characteristics of the Brazilian population. When looking at energy-adjusted nutrient intakes, diets of tuber consumers have resulted in somewhat lower intakes of some micronutrients, namely riboflavin, folate, vitamin C, iron, sodium, and zinc.

Analyzing the state and development trends in economic clusterization processes in foreign countries

Subject. The article discusses the existing trends and national approaches to clustering in foreign economies, which concurrently determine the socio-economic parity of strategic growth indicators. Objectives. We determine the most suitable conditions for cluster structures to emerge in national economies and macroregions, and look for methods to optimize and use how economic clusterization in Russia can be developed. Methods. The study is based on general scientific methods, such as the generalization, synthesis and analysis, and special ones, which serve for evaluating the trajectory of clusterization processes in national economics across the globe, and point out their specifics. Furthermore, we applied the comprehensive approach to evaluating the development trajectory of cluster structures, and involved classification and identification techniques and the method of grouping and graphic representation. Results. We grouped countries by purpose of national economic clusterization, and performed the comparative analysis of clustering model through indicative points. The article presents approaches to describing key clusterization centers at the macroregional development level. The article spotlights the most frequent specialization of clusters abroad. We analyzed how cluster structures develop in the European Union, and concurrently assessed the volume of funds allocated to cluster structures there and the existing strategic partnerships of clusters in Europe. Conclusions and Relevance. The study allows to optimize the existing approaches to clustering of the Russian economy through the analysis of global practices of cluster structures’ operation, which can expand opportunities for making national integrated entities more competitive.

Regions supporting the spatial Development of Russia: budgetary Aspect

The authors investigate the prospects for the spatial development of modern Russia highlighting the supporting regions considered in the budgetary aspect. The relevance of the study is due to the insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of the current policy of “equalization”, as well as the need for breakthrough growth of the Russian economy within the framework of national development goals. The present paper aims to identify one of the key elements of the supporting framework of the spatial organization of Russia in terms of the level of fiscal capacity. The research methodology is based on the use of complex, statistical and comparative analyses. The authors used official data of Rosstat on the population, tax and non-tax revenues, gratuitous receipts in 2010 and 2019 by regions of Russia. The authors highlight the key aspects of the spatial development of the Russian economy in the regional context: human capital development, economic development, the functioning of spatial structures of various types, fiscal capacity, environmental component, location of information and communication infrastructure, and geopolitical position. The influence of the fiscal capacity parameter on the sustainable socio-economic development of the region is justified. The fiscal capacity index of the constituent entities of Russia is analyzed at the end of 2010 and 2019, the main trends are identified. The study presents a cartographic visualization of the Russian regions by per capita fiscal capacity for tax and non-tax revenues of the consolidated budgets in 2019. The authors carried out a comparative analysis of the revenues of consolidated regional budgets on the macro-regional level, as a result of which the leading regions were identified and their budget parameters described.The present paper outlines one of the key elements of the supporting framework of Russian spatial organization from the point of view of fiscal capacity and identifies potential regions supporting spatial development in the context of macro-regions. The authors conclude that the supporting framework of the spatial organization of Russia, formed by the level of fiscal capacity, characterizes the financial potential of the territories, which can contribute to the development of interregional cooperation, including through the use of mechanisms for ensuring “horizontal” inter-budgetary transfers and budget loans. The prospect for further research on this topic consists in assessing and shaping other elements of the spatial development of Russia and identifying, by uniting them, supporting regions that can stimulate the development of not only the semi-periphery and periphery of their macro-regions but also of the entire country.

Climate Adaptation Strategies and Associated Governance Structures in Mountain Areas. The Case of the Alpine Regions

Adaptation to climate change raises important governance issues in terms of governance structures and mechanisms, stakeholders’ involvement, and links with the existing and wider-scale strategies. Notwithstanding the increasing attention at the global and European level, precise recommendations for the governance of climate change at the geographical macro-regional level are still lacking. Macro-regions span several states with some common morphological or climatic features and adopt wider-scale strategies which are not mandatory or do not take sufficient account of the specificities of any included regions. Each region is differently administered and adopts specific climate adaptation strategies for addressing just the challenges of the territories they govern, without considering the effects on the neighbouring ones. They also decentralize the climate policies towards the lowest levels of government, and this has increased the number of local bodies involved and promoted the participation of non-governmental players and citizens. Within the macro-regions, local climate conditions and their changes can be similar; however, their impacts can vary significantly at the individual territory level, and their effects can extend beyond traditional administrative boundaries. Dealing with these changes is particularly challenging in the Alpine area, which extends across 48 regions/autonomous provinces belonging to eight different European countries and is governed by three different international/transnational strategies. This territory represents a fragile ecosystem due to the current climate changes, which have influenced the climate conditions differently at the local level, as well as the richness of natural resources, and the opportunity to exploit them for economic reasons. South Tyrol (IT) is one of the autonomous provinces located in this area that is currently addressing the expected and unexpected impacts of climate change. Unlike other Italian Alpine regions, this region boasts a wider legislative autonomy, which enables the creation of more targeted climate adaptation policies and their decentralisation to the lowest level of administration, including the non-governmental players and citizens. As a result, the climate adaptation governance framework appears complex and hard to govern due to the plurality of actors and governmental levels at Alpine and regional/provincial levels. The present article sheds light on this framework, analysing specifically the three above-mentioned governance issues: governance structures, stakeholders’ involvement mechanisms, and links with the existing wider-scales strategies. While discussing these topics, it then refers specifically to South Tyrol for the case study. Based on the documental analysis of the climate adaptation strategies and resultant findings, the preferred governance mechanism for addressing the specific climate adaptation challenges of Alpine regions would involve adopting some of the regulations included in regional mono-sectoral plans. These regulations do not relate to wider-scale strategies at the macro-regional level and refer just to the administered territories. The participation of local institutions and citizens in defining and implementing these regulations is limited and not incentivized. Although important, interactions across Alpine, national, and sub-national policy domains are limited. These limitations are revealed in South Tyrol and partially also in other European Alpine regions.

The disruptive impact of COVID-19 on air transportation: An ITS econometric analysis

This paper provides estimates of the destructive impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on air transport at the macro-regional level. To this end, weekly data on the air service volumes are analyzed through an ITS SARIMA model and a counterfactual analysis covering the 2016–2020. We find that the real effect of COVID-19 was a reduction above 80% in all world's macro-regions in May 2020, and still a decrease of about 70% at the end of the Summer 2020, with the only exception of China and Eastern Asia, and North America, where the reductions are, respectively, −29% and −54%. The empirical evidence confirms that the impact of the pandemic crisis and of the subsequent lockdown has been dramatic, much higher than any previous crisis. We also find that the impact is greater for intercontinental connections and for FSCs, while LCCs appear to be slightly more resilient. These results confirm that airline economic sustainability is currently at high risk, and that the unequal resources of the various countries in subsidizing national airlines could generate a competitive imbalance in the future.

Jerarquía de Ciudades en el Perú con fines de Regionalización

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Analysis of the spatio-temporal dynamics of incidence, mortality and test rates (rapid and RT-PCR) of COVID-19 in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Background and Objectives: A novel type of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is responsible for an unprecedented pandemic with profound socioeconomic consequences. Owing to its recent discovery still represents a great unknown to researchers. Thus, this study aims to establish the spatio-temporal associations of the incidence, mortality, and the rate of both rapid and RT-PCR tests in Minas Gerais. Methods: This is a quantitative analysis of secondary data based on a cross-sectional research design. Incidence, mortality, date of the first notification of COVID-19 and number of rapid and RT-PCR tests were obtained from the sources: “GAL”, “e-SUS VE” and “SES-MG”. Pearson coefficient for correlation was calculated to establish the level of association between the relevant data. Descriptive statistical procedures were used to provide a comprehensive understanding of the distribution of incidence, mortality and test rates in the territory. Results: Positive correlations were found between the rate of rapid tests and incidence; rate of RT-PCR tests and incidence/mortality. At the municipal level, incidence, mortality, rate of rapid tests and RT-PCR revealed a negative correlation with days elapsed since the First Notified Case. The same effect occurs at the level of health macro-regions. Conclusion: The heterogeneity of the incidence and mortality of COVID-19 in the territory of Minas Gerais, as well as the rate of tests may be caused, in part, due to the different dates of introduction of the virus in the municipalities/macro-regions. It is speculated that this phenomenon occurs due to the dynamics of regional and inter-regional flows of people.

Human and demographic capital in peripheries of the Pilsen Region, Czechia

The aim of the paper is to delineate remote peripheral municipalities and compare the human and demographic capital of peripheral, semi-peripheral, and central municipalities of the study area. The paper applies the concept of hierarchized remoteness peripherality – peripheral municipalities are delineated on the basis of their considerable time distance from the central towns at the micro-, meso-, and macro-regional level. First, we define micro-regional central towns on the basis of population numbers, commuters, bus and train connections, and services. Consequently, peripheral and other municipalities were delineated. Then, we evaluated the human and demographic capital of peripheral and other municipalities, simultaneously, using 10 indicators. Generally, values of human and demographic capital are increasing towards central towns. Nevertheless, almost 40% of peripheral municipalities at the micro-regional level show favourable rates. There have been improvements in the capital values in some peripheral municipalities due to the immigration of counter-urbanites and entrepreneurs in tourism, the opening of the border with Bavaria, and the stabilization of local communities.

Relationship Between Industrial Production and Pawnshop Market of the Ural Macroregion

The article focuses on the need to study the processes of a new high-tech industrialization (neo-industrialization) at the macroregion level. The object of the study is the economic region of the Russian Federation (the macroregion) as a relatively integral spatially localized and complexly structured socio-economic entity, which includes four Ural regions – Kurgan region, Orenburg region, Sverdlovsk region and Chelyabinsk region, Perm krai and two republics – Republic of Bashkortostan and Republic of Udmurtia, which corresponds to the borders of the Ural economic region according to the all-Russian classifier of economic regions. The purpose of this study is to prove the relationship between the level of industrial production and the level of the pawnshop market development in the Ural macroregion. The territory of the Ural macroregion is analyzed from the perspective of the relationship between the level of industrial production and the level of the pawnshop market development. The Authors proved the existence of a direct relationship between the level of industrial production and the level of pawnshops territorial concentration, and also identified the territories that are leaders in the pawnshops concentration. The Authors put forward a scientific hypothesis about the most effective model of pawnshop activity. The conclusion is made about mutually beneficial cooperation between precious metal processing enterprises and pawnshops, which contributes to the development of both the pawnshop sector and this type of industrial activity.