DIFFERENTIATION OF NORTHERN CITIES IN TERMS OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT USING AN INDEX APPROACH

Abstract

The development programs for the Far North of Russia and equivalent areas have been very diverse inrecent years. This is largely due to the fact that some northern territories, including the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, are the object of increased attention on the part of the state. At the same time, the rest of the territories of the Northremain outside the modern development agenda. This situation signals that Northern legislation needs to be reformed and there is a need for a new development strategy both at the macro-regional and urban levels. Therefore, for future changes,it is important to objectively assess the current socio-economic situation and identify the pressing problems of the northernterritories and their main strongholds – cities.The aim of the study is to assess the socio-economic status of northern cities in 2023 through an index approachand correlate it with traditional development factors. To achieve the purpose of the study, a methodology for estimatingthe socio-economic development index was used. This methodology was developed by a group of scientists from MoscowState University and the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and it includes calculation of foursub-indexes.The study has confirmed that the development of northern cities is extremely heterogeneous. The influence ofeconomic specialization, geographical location, demographic and administrative factors on various aspects of the socioeconomic development was determined. The highest values of the index were demonstrated by oil and gas productioncenters, mainly located in the Arctic zone, as well as by the administrative centers of territorial entities with multi-industryspecialization. The lowest values were shown by peripheral towns, mainly those located in areas equated to the Far Northand not having industrial specialization, or characterized by extremely low production indicators.