Systemic Criteria for the Evaluation of the Role of Monofunctional Towns in the Formation of Local Urban Agglomerations

Abstract

There exist various federal and regional programs aimed at solving the problem of monofunctional towns in the periods of economic stagnation and structural unemployment occurrence. Nevertheless, people living in such towns can find solutions to the existing problems with the help of self-organization including diurnal labor commuting migration to the nearest towns with a more stable economic situation. This accounts for the initial reason for agglomeration processes in regions with a large number of monotowns. Experimental models of the rank distribution of towns in a system (region) and evolution criteria of such systems from basic ones to agglomerations are explored in order to assess the intensity of agglomeration processes in the systems of towns in the Middle and Southern Urals (the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions). The involvement of monotowns in the processes of diurnal commuting migration which is considered as the initial stage of urban agglomerations formation at the modern stage of their development is evaluated on the basis of the developed criteria. The quality of parameters assessing the intensity of town attractiveness in migration processes is evaluated. It is demonstrated that monotowns do not possess any distinguishing self-organization peculiarities in comparison to other small towns.