Does the Strategy for Spatial Development of the Russian Federation contribute to the solution of resettlement problems?

Abstract

The article underlines the importance of Spatial Development Scheme of the Russian Federation (SDSRF) until 2025 in coordination of social and economic planning. However, the following disadvantages of it are emphasized: declarative character, lack of communication with the budget forecasting, insufficient development of the implementation mechanisms. The main directions of the population settlement improvement are defined for the long term; the 6-year period expected results are not given. Contrary to the most important postulate declared in the project to prevent the superconcentration processes and the migration of people from Siberia and Far East, further development of the agglomerations of large and the largest cities is envisaged.

It should be taken into account that from 60% to 80% of the population and production facilities in Russia are concentrated in the cores of agglomerations, so that leads to a deterioration of the ecological situation, a decrease in the quality of the urban environment, an increase in the duration of travelling for the population and other negative phenomena.

It can be expected that the distance between depressive territories and financial resources will increase when the economic development is the priority and the budgetary funds are concentrated in macro-regions with the aim of implementing mega-projects. It will contribute to the further development of the desertification processes in the depressive territory.

The emphasis on the development of magistral networks in the project of SDSRF is the important step in ensuring the connectivity of the territory, but to solve the problems of the rural settlements stabilization it is important to develop a network of the local well-maintained roads, with the involvement of federal funds.

The general conclusion is that the expected effectiveness of the Strategy in terms of creating the prerequisites for solution of the actual problems of the settlements is extremely low.