R-ECONOMY, 2019, 5(4), 155–167 doi: 10.15826/recon.2019.5.4.016 Original Paper doi 10.15826/recon.2019.5.4.016 Spatial aspects of regional infrastructure distribution (the case of Sverdlovsk region) Ju. G. Lavrikova1 , A. V. Suvorova1, 2 1 Institute of Economics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia; e-mail: [email protected] 2 Ural State University of Economics, Ekaterinburg, Russia ABSTRACT KEYWORDS The article discusses the correlation between the localization of specific infra- space, settlement system, structure objects within a region and characteristics of this region’s territorial distribution, social infrastructure, development. Conceptually the study is grounded in the theory of regional region, spatial autocorrelation, economics, spatial analysis and modelling and uses the tools of spatial autocor- Moran’s I, map-based spatial relation analysis, such as the global and local Moran’s I, and map-based spatial analysis, Sverdlovsk region analysis. The settlement system of Sverdlovsk region (Russia) is considered as a key characteristic of its territorial development and the analysis shows the cor- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS relation between settlement patterns and the distribution of certain objects of The research was supported by the social infrastructure (places of attraction) across the region’s territory. Access Institute of Economics, Ural Branch to infrastructure is an important factor which attracts people to this or that of the Russian Academy of Sciences municipality. However, the key parameter that determines the spatial aspects in accordance with the plan for of infrastructure distribution in the region is the emergence and development 2019–2021. of the factors underlying this process. The article demonstrates that the local- ization of infrastructure objects built to generate economic effects and bring FOR CITATION profit to their developers to a greater extent correlates with the prospective Lavrikova Ju. G., Suvorova A. V. transformations of the settlement system (primarily agglomeration processes) (2019) Spatial aspects of regional rather than with its current characteristics (such correlation is more typical of infrastructure distribution (the the infrastructure objects specifically intended to address social issues). These case of Sverdlovsk region). research findings can be used by policy-makers for setting priorities of region- R-economy, 5(4), 155–167. doi: al development, which would shape the spatial transformations of the territory. 10.15826/recon.2019.5.4.016 Пространственные аспекты инфраструктурного обустройства региона: пример Свердловской области Ю. Г. Лаврикова1 , А. В. Суворова1, 2 1 Институт экономики Уральского отделения Российской академии наук, г. Екатеринбург, Россия; e-mail: [email protected] 2 Уральский государственный экономический университет, г. Екатеринбург, Россия АННОТАЦИЯ КЛЮЧЕВЫЕ СЛОВА Статья посвящена оценке степени соответствия характера размещения пространство, система в пространстве региона элементов инфраструктуры особенностям его расселения, размещение, территориального развития. Теоретическую и методологическую основу социальная инфраструктура, исследования составляет совокупность научных представлений в обла- регион, пространственная сти региональной экономики, пространственного анализа и моделиро- автокорреляция, индекс Морана, вания. На основе оценки пространственной автокорреляции (с помощью картографический анализ, определения величин как глобального, так и локального индекса Морана) Свердловская область и осуществления картографического анализа выделены и сопоставлены друг с другом особенности сложившейся в Свердловской области систе- мы расселения (как одной из ключевых характеристик ее территориаль- ного развития) и взаиморасположения в регионе элементов инфраструк- туры мест проживания и мест притяжения. Показано, что размещение БЛАГОДАРНОСТИ объектов социальной инфраструктуры в целом соответствует характеру Работа выполнена при расположения на территории ее основных потребителей – жителей реги- поддержке Института она. Однако ключевым параметром, определяющим пространственные экономики Уральского отделения аспекты инфраструктурного обустройства территории, является гене- Российской академии наук зис факторов, лежащих в основе данного процесса. Доказано, что лока- в соответствии с планом на лизация инфраструктурных объектов, главной целью создания которых 2019–2021 гг. © Ju. G. Lavrikova, A. V. Suvorova, 2019 155 www.r-economy.ru Online ISSN 2412-0731 R-ECONOMY, 2019, 5(4), 155–167 doi: 10.15826/recon.2019.5.4.016 выступает генерация экономических эффектов и получение прибыли, в большей степени коррелирует не с текущими особенностями системы ДЛЯ ЦИТИРОВАНИЯ расселения (что характерно для объектов, создание которых призва- Lavrikova Ju. G., Suvorova A. V. но способствовать решению социальных проблем), а с перспективами (2019) Spatial aspects of regional ее преобразования, проявляющимися тенденциями (в первую очередь, infrastructure distribution (the с агломерационными процессами). Полученные результаты могут найти case of Sverdlovsk region). применение при определении приоритетов осуществления региональ- R-economy, 5(4), 155–167. doi: ной политики, пространственных преобразований территорий. 10.15826/recon.2019.5.4.016 Introduction Theoretical framework The distribution of infrastructure elements Spatial aspects of economic development now across space is one of the main topics not only in attract considerable scholarly attention in Russia, regional economics and economic geography but especially after the adoption of the federal law ‘On also in policy-making on different levels of the Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation’1 in territorial hierarchy. The principal difficulty is to 2014. This law identifies the strategy of spatial determine the parameters for the optimal location development as one of the key strategic planning of such infrastructure objects. documents. It seems obvious that the key criterion should However, it should be noted that the research be the ability of infrastructure objects to meet the on the relationship between the distribution of needs of the main stakeholders, regardless of the economic entities across space and specific param- level of the territory – cities, regions or the coun- eters of territorial development goes back to the try as a whole. It means that the distribution of nineteenth century. The classical location theory infrastructure should correlate with the concen- developed by J. H. von Thünen [1], A. Weber [2], tration of its users, that is, the latter should be pro- A. Lösch [3], W. Christaller [4], and C. W. F. Laun- vided with a convenient access to these objects. hardt [5] described the factors that determine the Developed infrastructure, in its turn, attracts localization of industries in space. Spatial aspects more residents to the area, which is conducive to of territorial development were also considered by socio-economic growth and turns infrastructur- the growth poles theory and the theory of polar- al development into a powerful tool of regional ized development, theories and concepts of urban policy-making. Irrespective of whether the infra- development [8; 9], and so on. structure is going to be developed in accordance Questions related to distribution of productive with the already existing settlement patterns and forces were also discussed by Soviet economists, distribution of productive forces across the terri- such as N. N. Nekrasov [10], I. G. Alexandrov tory or with the view to future transformations [11], A. E. Probst [12] and others. Interestingly of the socio-economic space, decision-making in enough, as A. I. Tatarkin and E. G. Animitsa point this sphere is based primarily on the analysis of out in their article on the paradigm theory of re- the current situation: before building new objects gional economy, seminal works written by West- of infrastructure, it is necessary to assess different ern authors had little impact on the theoretical parameters of the region’s development, in partic- views of Soviet scholars in what concerned the ular the already existing infrastructure, and iden- distribution of industrial enterprises and region- tify the gaps and disproportions that need to be al development. Nevertheless, the development addressed. of territorial studies in the USSR, which dealt This study is aimed at analyzing the charac- primarily with the radical shifts in the location teristics of territorial development of a region and of productive forces, theory and practice of eco- revealing their correlation with the localization of nomic zoning, factors that determine the location infrastructure objects in the given area. It should of industries, to some extent coincided with the be noted that such analysis should take into ac- international trends. count different types of infrastructure. Our study The research of the role played by spatial fac- focuses on the discrepancies between settlement tors in the development of socio-economic sys- patterns of a region (characteristics of its territo- tems requires a methodological approach that rial development) and localization of some ele- would not rely exclusively on evaluating the dy- ments of social infrastructure in the same region 1 Federal Law No. 172-FZ of 06.26.2014 ‘On Strategic (infrastructure necessary for maintaining and im- Planning in the Russian Federation’. Retrieved from: http:// proving the living conditions). www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_164841 156 www.r-economy.ru Online ISSN