ASSESSING THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SOCIOECONOMY OF THE REGION’S MUNICIPALITIES: A GEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH

Abstract

This article explores theoretical and methodological issues in the strategic management of territorial development, noting the socialization and humanization of research conducted by social scientists today, which represents the scientific community’s response to global challenges. The transition from the industrial to the post-industrial stage is taking place under the auspices of the concept of sustainable development; however, entering a new humanistic stage
requires updating the social and environmental agenda. The socioeconomic paradigm serves as the conceptual model for
the scientific analysis of sustainable and balanced territorial development processes. It symbolizes the transition from
resource-oriented to innovative and strategic development, the strengthening of the social priorities of regional policy,
and assessment of the effectiveness of economic (production) activity through sociodemographic indicators. From the
perspective of human geography, a region is viewed as a territorial social system, formed at various hierarchical levels
and possessing common and unique features. The core of this system is the territorial community of people, whose quality
of life should be improved by management efforts. The theoretical and methodological aspects of socioeconomy have
been thoroughly explored at the meso-level (the level of constituent entities of the Russian Federation). Spatial studies at the micro-level are gaining relevance today as intraregional disparities in socioeconomic, environmental, and demographic development are particularly acute. An analysis of strategic documents of Perm Krai’s municipalities and of official statistics reveals the most pressing problems in municipal socioeconomies. Emphasis is placed on issues related to the decline of the manufacturing sector, which has resulted in negative sociodemographic consequences. It is stressed that the elaboration of strategic documents for municipal development requires long-term forecasting using modern tools, including monitoring analysis that takes into account social benchmarks and priorities