Single-industry Towns Research Articles

Spatial Transformation of the Higher Education System: Threats and Challenges to Single-Industry Towns

The article proposes an approach to analyzing the spatial organization of the Russian higher education system. Methodologically, the study relies on the theory of structural functionalism. In order to solve the stated research problems, the authors used comparative historical and economic-statistical analyses, as well as the quick survey method. The study characterizes the specifics of the Russian system of single-industry towns and justifies the role of a single-industry town as an integral and essential element of the settlement system. The study also reveals structural and functional changes inthe Russian system of higher education that significantly limit the possibility of preserving universities and/or their branches in single-industry towns. It was proved that the functions of higher education institutions in a single-industry town are multifaceted, complex in nature, and not limited only to the sphere of education. In spite of this, the higher education system in single-industry towns downsizes at a significantly faster rate than in the country as a whole. The performed analysis shows that the persisting trend toward increasing territorial concentration in the country’s system of higher education can create a set of negative effects that have a disruptive impact on the national settlement system, the continuity of complex value chains, and the social stability of local communities in single-industry towns. A conclusion is made about the need for comprehensive solutions regarding the development of higher education in single-industry towns that combine both national mechanisms for achieving national goals and the toolkits of regional, industrial, educational, and corporate policies.

History of the city of Stavropol-Togliatti: historiographic aspect

The city of Togliatti, which has been leading its history since 1737 and is currently the first in terms of population among Russian so-called «single-industry towns», has accumulated a significant amount of its own literature. At the same time, the historiography of Stavropol-Togliatti began to develop widely only from the second half of the XX century, it still has an eclectic character and continues to progress. The author of the article when using the method of historical periodization, comparative-historical and analytical methods analyzed the literature on the history of the city, its systematization was carried out, six historiographic groups on the topic were allocated, the authors who made the greatest contribution to the study of the city of Stavropol-Togliatti were named.

Forecast of changes in the demographic situation in single-industry towns of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Forecast of changes in the demographic situation in single-industry towns of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Methodology for Assessing and Ranking of the Socio-Economic Development of Single-Industry Towns Based on Multifactor Analysis of Fractal Indicators

Methodology for Assessing and Ranking of the Socio-Economic Development of Single-Industry Towns Based on Multifactor Analysis of Fractal Indicators

Environmental Monitoring of Industrial Single-Industry Towns in the Arctic: Analyses and Recommendations

This research analyses Arctic single-industry towns’ pollution levels in order to identify the most problematic areas and develop recommendations to reduce negative impact on Arctic environment. For this purpose, extensive data processing was carried out, which is resulted in ranking of 18 Arctic single-industry towns in terms of pollution indicators of both air and water. The top 5 most polluted singleindustry towns include such cities as Norilsk, Severodvinsk, Vorkuta, Kostomuksha and Segezha. However, recently various actors have been actively working on environmental rehabilitation in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Thus, in 2023, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Arkhangelskaya Oblast and Republic of Karelia increased their positions among other Arctic regions. These regions hosted large-scale environmental actions, environmental lectures, research and launch of energy infrastructure facilities. Data on major federal projects dealing with environmental rehabilitation in single-industry towns (the Clean Arctic project, the Ecology national project) are also provided in this article.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF A CITY-FORMING ENTERPRISE ACTIVITY IN ARCTIC INDIVIDUAL CITY (EVIDENCE OF KOSTOMUKSHA)

An extended use of natural and geostrategic potential of the Arctic determines the relevance of studying the development of mono-cities as key elements of settling framework of a macroregion. GO Kostomuksha has been a positive exception for a long time due to a favorable socio-economic situation and successful leveling of environmental risks. The article examines social and environmental aspects of the activity of the city-forming enterprise GO Kostomuksha. The purpose of the work is to identify the key social and environmental aspects of the activity of a city-forming enterprise that determines the sustainable development of a single-industry town. The research methodology includes the concept of sustainable development, dialectical and formal-logical approaches, a combination of methods of statistical and sociological analysis. The originality of the study lies in the choice of an object - the city of Kostomuksha, which recently received “Arctic” status, which has not been sufficiently studied in this status from a socio-economic point of view. The study is based on official statistics, reporting data of holdings and enterprises, as well as the results of a survey of the population of Kostomuksha. The study reveals that, despite a high burden of existing production on the environment, ecological problems occupy the last place (only 3,7% of respondents noted the environmental situation as a problem) on the list of crucial issues for the city. At the same time, almost half of respondents share the responsibility for the environment condition as personal. The perceived connection of the personal future with the city is higher among the employees of the enterprise than among other residents (78,6% vs. 60%). The conclusion is made about the expediency of a wider media and social networks coverage of such areas of the enterprise's activity as “preservation of the environment”, “social security and charity”, “household welfare of the population”, as well as a more intensified interaction in these areas with local authorities. The results are applicable in the framework of regulating the development of local communities in single-industry towns in the Arctic and maximizing social effects as a part of ESG agenda by large holdings and enterprises.

Factors affecting the demographic situation in the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District

Subject. The article considers the multifactorial regression modeling and evaluation of indicators affecting the improvement of demographic situation in the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. Objectives. The aim is to identify factors influencing the population growth in the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. Methods. The study employs theoretical, descriptive, comparative, and statistical methods, demographic analysis, and multivariate regression modeling. Results. We found that the demographic situation in the Central, Northwestern, Southern, North Caucasian, and Ural Federal Districts is generally stabilizing. The situation is extremely negative in the Volga, Siberian, and Far Eastern federal districts. The spatial regression modeling identified 13 out of 47 factors that affect the population growth of the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. The development of small business contributes to solving socio-economic problems and has a positive impact on living standards. The number of single-industry towns located in the said Federal District has a positive effect on population growth. Conclusions. There is a decrease in the population in the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. The development of small and medium-sized businesses is good for demographic situation. This is confirmed by positive correlation of the number of small and medium-sized enterprises and their average number with the population of the region. The number of single-industry towns has a positive effect on population growth. Mining and processing enterprises have a negative environmental impact, however, they are not negative indicators that affect the deterioration of the demographic situation.

Single-industry cities: social aspects of urban planning policy (as exemplified by the gold-mining city Bodaibo, Irkutsk region)

The article raises the issue of Russian single-industry cities, the social situation and social policy in the city as part of urban planning policy. The main attention is paid to the analysis of the situation at the single-industry cities: social aspects of urban planning policy (as illustrated by the gold-mining city of Bodaibo, Irkutsk region). More than 60 % of the city population is directly or indirectly connected with the gold mining industry. Consequently, Bodaibo can be considered as a single-industry gold-mining city that requires attention from the authorities and a special approach to the urban policy development. The relevance of the study is explained by the fact that there are no systematic comprehensive (including sociological) studies on gold mining cities and settlements in Russia. Purpose of the study: studying the needs of residents of the city of Bodaibo to improve the quality of life in terms of solving social problems and developing proposals to determine the directions of urban planning policy. Research results: in October 2022, the authors of the article conducted a sociological survey of the city Bodaibo residents to identify the satisfaction of citizens with living and working conditions, and to assess the comfort of the environment. It was found that the social conditions in the city are deteriorating: 30 % of citizens noted the quality of life as the worst, more than 60 % of respondents rated the state of social infrastructure as unsatisfactory. Conclusions: weaknesses in the city urban planning policy - lack of comfortable housing, high prices for rental housing for newcomers, poor condition of transport infrastructure, low quality of medical and cultural services. Due to the unresolved social problems, part of the population is leaving the city, the demographic situation is deteriorating. The authors analyzed studies on single-industry towns in other regions of the Russian Federation, got acquainted with the proposed models for solving urgent problems, also relying upon foreign experience. Based on the sociological survey results and acquaintance with the developed concepts for the reorganization of single-industry towns, the authors proposed some steps to improve the urban planning policy in the city of Bodaibo

An analysis of migration processes in the Murmansk Oblast: Problems and strategic prospects of single-industry towns

Subject. This article examines the single-industry town as a factor determining the economic situation in the Far North of Russia. Objectives. The article aims to analyze migration processes in the Far North and assess the impact of migration processes on population changes. Methods. For the study, we used the methods of comparative and systems analyses. Results. The analysis of the changes in demographic indicators of the Murmansk Oblast shows a high level of resistance of the region to changes in the external environment. The trends in birth and death rates in the Murmansk Oblast generally corresponds to the trends in these indicators in the country as a whole. Conclusions. Initiatives to unlock the economic potential of the Murmansk Oblast should be linked to federal development strategies and programmes.

Differentiation of general education quality in single-industry Arctic towns as assessed by educational participants

Arctic territories, whose development is clearly focal in nature, are characterized by a higher proportion of single-industry towns in the total number of municipal divisions as compared to the national average. The uneven development of areas dominated by individual monopsonists manifests itself in different spheres, including the education system. The article summarizes the results of studying the quality differentiation of general education in single-industry Arctic towns. In this study, the author analyzed the results of a questionnaire survey carried out among the parents of students in general education institutions located in seven Arctic regions of the Russian Federation. Through comparison of the received responses, the author identified areas that distinguish the situation with education quality distribution in single-industry towns of the Russian Arctic from other territories of this macroregion.

ASSESSMENT OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP: CASE-STUDY OF KAZAKHSTAN

Research on the development and support of women's business in the context of developing countries requires special attention.The purpose of this study is to analyze the features of the regional development of women entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan, a country with a developing economy and a leader among Central Asian countries, as well as the policy of state support for women's entrepreneurship in the post-pandemic period.The methodology of the study as a basis covers statistical methods of statistical data analysis, cluster analysis.Originality of the research. The study focuses on identifying the causes of uneven development of women's entrepreneurship in the regions of the republic and the implementation of state support.Findings. The authors conclude that the socio-economic development of the regions directly aff ects the entrepreneurial activity of women in the regions. The economic unevenness of regional development is refl ected in the social aspect of the level of development. The use of the economic potential of rural women is associated with the development of single-industry towns and infrastructure, as well as the development of programs that take into account the specifi cs of the regions. However, despite the existence of existing state programs to support entrepreneurship, there are not enough programs aimed at broad involvement of women in business and a number of measures should be taken to improve the country's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Innovative development of single-industry towns: An overview of factors and support measures

Subject. This article discusses the issues related to the diversification of the economy of single-industry towns in Russia. Objectives. The article aims to assess the measures of State support aimed at realizing the innovative potential of single-industry towns. Methods. For the study, we used a statistical analysis. Results. The article determines that the current area of diversification of the economy of single-industry towns is the development of industrial tourism while maintaining the sectoral orientation of systemic companies. Conclusions and Relevance. The volume of investments in the development of single-industry towns is insufficient, and many social problems have not been solved. The results of the study can be taken into account when developing programmes for the development of production in the context of international sanctions against Russia.

ДИЗАЙН-КОД КАК СРЕДСТВО РАЗВИТИЯ КОМФОРТНОЙ ГОРОДСКОЙ СРЕДЫ И СПОСОБ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ГОРОДСКОЙ АЙДЕНТИКИ

The article is devoted to the study of design code elements as a means of creating a comfortable urban environment in conditions of rapid transformation of spheres of public life, and as a consequence of new relationships between the population and the urban environment. The design code of urban spaces is considered as the main structural element of identity and a change in the vector of urban development in the context of a decrease in the social and investment attractiveness of small and medium-sized cities, the loss of identification and originality of industrial cities and single-industry towns. The necessity of creating a unified stylistic urban environment is substantiated, due to the multiculturalism of architecture and marketing, a multinational population, which leaves its mark on the urban environment and its perception by residents. An analysis of foreign and domestic experience in the use of design code, its impact on architecture, psychological and physical health of a person, economic stimulation and social aspects of public life is carried out, and the problems of modern cities and ways to solve them using design coding are described. Based on the results of the analysis of best practices, the most current trends in the formation of a comfortable urban environment were identified using various design code elements that are most effective and attractive. Recommendations are proposed for the formation of the identity of Russian cities for participants in urban planning and management of architecture and urban planning, as well as a new look at integrated sustainable development

"Invisible" single-industry towns in Russia

"Invisible" single-industry towns in Russia

Формирование и оценка потенциала развития преференциальных территорий России

Considering the new reality in Russia, research needs to identify and use additional factors to ensure economic growth. The spatial factor plays an important role in enhancing the sustainability of economic development and increasing macroeconomic dynamics. The study examines the formation and assesses the development potential of Russian preferential territories, of which there are currently more than 860. The research methodology is based on the principles of spatial development, synergetic economics and institutional theories. Methods of comparative, statistical, structural, and SWOT analysis are used. It is hypothesised that the use of the development potential of preferential territories (in this case, priority development areas (PDAs) of single-industry towns) will increase their technological advancement. As of 2024, 110 Russian territories, including 84 single-industry towns, have the priority development area status. The opportunities and development risks of Russian preferential territories were analysed using SWOT. An institutional-synergetic approach to the formation of PDAs was utilised to create a methodology for determining development potentials. The performed assessment of the potential of 9 priority development areas in single-industry towns revealed the presence of technologically advanced institutions only in three of them (Naberezhnye Chelny, Tolyatti and Nevinnomyssk). Six PDAs have resources, development institutions, and infrastructure corresponding to the current technological development level of the territory. Three PDAs can rely on the strategic potential of their regions (characterised by a high or average quality of life and investment attractiveness). The study offered recommendations for adjusting territorial development strategies, taking into account the socio-economic potential of priority areas for their transition to the next technological level. The findings can be used for updating the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation and adjusting the performance indicators of preferential territories.

ESG factors of city-forming enterprises and the growth of single-industry towns in Russia

In research, the influence of city-forming enterprises on the single-industry town’s development is considered from the perspective of ESG-parameters of their activities. In the development of the researches of previous authors, the article presents a conceptual model of the influence of city-forming enterprise ESG-indicators on the socio-economic development of a single-industry town, including three types of indicators. If the social aspects of the organization activities are carried out at a city-forming enterprise, this contributes to increase the attractiveness of the labor market in the city and expanding the human potential of the city as a whole. When performing the G-component of organizing the city-forming enterprise activities this contributes not only to attracting investors, but also expanding the practice of co-production public goods in the city, due to the combined efforts of the city-forming enterprise, local governments and external investors. In the article application of ESG-indicators in non-financial reporting of large Russian city-forming enterprises. The authors found public non-financial reports (with ESG-reporting) only in 45 % of Russian city-forming enterprises. The non-financial reports of 30 city-forming enterprises from 19 regions of Russia were studied more detailed. What indicator: economic, social or corporate are presented in them. The authors concluded that the city-forming enterprises demonstrate mainly managerial indicators, the dynamics of staff turnover and responsibility in waste management. Indicators of the environmental, social and managerial components are not always presented in a sufficiently diverse way but one group of indicators may be present, or such indicators are used that do not reflect the initial value of ESG-monitoring. To overcome these imperfections, the article also presents some recommendations for the development of this practice.

Методологические и практические вопросы стратегий развития моногородов: возможности предикативной аналитики

The purpose of the article is to study the problems associated with the stabilization of the situation in single-industry towns and the methodological justification of the practical possibilities of using predicative analytics in obtaining a predictive assessment of the growth points and taking into account risk factors during the creation of a strategy for sustainable development of a mono-profile territory. The historical significance of single-industry towns is shown and the reasons for the subsequent decline in their socio-economic indicators and the state of infrastructure are given. The consequences of the dependence of socio-economic indicators of single-industry town development on the financial results of the activity of a city-forming enterprise are analyzed. The expediency of developing a unified approach to technologies for solving the problems of single-industry towns development using predictive analytics tools in the process of planning the territory development is argued.

Determinants for increasing the productivity of single-industry towns in Kazakhstan

Determinants for increasing the productivity of single-industry towns in Kazakhstan

Agent-based Model for Predictive Assessment of the Migration Flows Dynamics in Municipal areas of the Bashkortostan Republic depending on Changes in the Population Life Quality

Favorable demographic and migration situation in the region contributes to its economic prosperity, since qualified personnel are necessary for successful development of the production potential of the territory. The migration attractiveness of the territory is determined by the population life quality, which implies not only high incomes of citizens, but also the development of transport and social infrastructure, accessibility of educational and medical services, favorable climate and environmental conditions, availability of jobs. The article describes the mathematical apparatus for calculating the integral indicator of the population life quality. To support decision-making on managing migration processes, an agent-oriented model is proposed that allows predicting the intensity of migration flows in the municipal districts of the Bashkortostan Republic depending on changes in the population life quality. Algorithms for choosing a place of residence and placement of production facilities for the agents "Resident" and "Enterprise" are described in detail. The output data of the model are forecasts of changes in the satisfaction of residents of the territory with the life quality, the number of migrants in the municipal district, the level of economic development of enterprises. Based on the current Federal Program “Integrated Development of Single-Industry Towns”, scenario experiments were conducted, which made it possible to predict the indicators of migration growth of the territories of the Republic of Bashkortostan involved in the implementation of the program.

Экологические проблемы моногородов российской Арктики в оценках населения

The article considers the environmental problems of single-industry towns in the Russian Arctic via population assessments. When assessing environmental problems, a whole range of studies is applied — a sociological survey of respondents living in the single-industry towns of Kirovsk and Kostomuksha, economic statistics and desk research. Desk research makes it possible to draw conclusions about environmental complaints of mono-town residents and the environmental responsibility of the largest enterprises in the Arctic. The results of the study show that situation in Arctic regions with waste sorting and recycling is very acute. Almost all Arctic regions are among the outsiders. In conclusion, the authors formulate recommendations to improve environmental policy pursued in the Arctic mono-towns taking into account the population opinion. The proposed recommendations include the development of a migration model for the Arctic mono-towns, implementation of measures for the disposal and recycling of municipal solid waste, strengthening public environmental control, economic incentives for the use of clean technologies, development of ecological tourism, etc.