Transformation of Rural Space in Regions with Large megalopolises

Issue № 3, 2025, article № 4, pages 32-41

Section: Economic mechanism of managing

Language: Russian

Original language title: ТРАНСФОРМАЦИЯ СЕЛЬСКОГО ПРОСТРАНСТВА В РЕГИОНАХ С КРУПНЫМ МЕГАПОЛИСОМ

Keywords: STRUCTURAL SHIFTS, LOCATION OF REGIONS, PERIPHERY, SEMI-PERIPHERY, GROWTH RATES, DOWNWARD TRENDS

Abstract: The megacities growing all over the world determine the transformation of the rural space of entire macroregions and new challenges for spatial planning and management. The influence of Moscow and St. Petersburg on the development of rural areas in nearby regions is not sufficiently taken into account in practice and needs to be studied. Therefore, the aim of the study was to identify changes in the distribution of population and agricultural production in the Central and Northwestern economic regions in 1991-2023, in the context of the impact on the ongoing structural shifts in the location of the regions relative to Moscow and St. Petersburg. According to the "center-periphery" concept, the regions are typified in terms of their remoteness from these megacities. The pattern of population growth in megacities, their near periphery, and its reduction in the semi-periphery and periphery is revealed. The article examines the trends of structural shifts in the production of most types of agricultural products in the Moscow region, regions of the periphery and semi-periphery, as a result of the substitution of agricultural activities around the metropolis with industrial and other infrastructure facilities. It is shown that the production of vegetables, potatoes, poultry and pigs for slaughter has structurally shifted from the Leningrad region to the periphery, while the periphery has lost its position in the production of livestock and eggs. It was found that in cattle breeding, structural changes in the area of influence of megacities occurred due to different rates of production reduction in the regions, in meat and poultry farming due to differences in production growth rates, pig and egg poultry farming were equally affected by upward and downward trends. Peripheral regions with high rates of reduction in the production of most types of products and an unfavorable demographic situation have been identified, where there are risks of an increased downward trend in the agricultural sector and an accelerated outflow of villagers. Organizational and economic measures have been proposed for such areas to solve these problems and attract large-scale investments here.

Authors: Kostiaev Aleksandr Ivanovich