Interlinkages between Urbanization and Regional Sustainable Development

Abstract

The article examines the impact mechanisms of urbanization on the sustainable development of territories, as evidenced by 85 regions of the Russian Federation. An abstract logical approach was used to summarize the key provisions of the sustainable development concept and evaluate the relevance of specific indicators. Econometric and statistical methods were applied for statistical data collection and analysis to assess the considered factors. Hypotheses and assumptions were employed to assess the investigated factors and perform regression analysis through economic and mathematical modeling methods. The presence of a moderate positive relationship between the level of regional sustainable development and the share of urban population and the total population in the region was revealed. It has been assumed that the indices of regional sustainable development should encompass indicators characterizing rural areas to estimate urban-rural development proportions. Greater emphasis should be put on the effective coordination of urban and rural development and the assessment of economic, institutional, infrastructural, environmental, and other conditions at the level of rural local communities. The latter have scarce opportunities for sustainable socio-economic development due to remoteness from urban centers (depopulation, aging population, poverty, unemployment, low quality of life, digital divide, etc.). This is urgent for the Russian Federation's sustainable development, considering its spatial extent and territorial heterogeneity.