Population change and the settlement system transformation in Poland, as revealed by the 2021 census
This article aims to analyse current geodemographic changes in Poland, based on the data of the 2021 National Population and Housing Census. Methods, traditional for socioeconomic geography, such as zoning, were employed. Poland’s population decreased during the inter-census period (2011—2021), with the urban population declining faster than its rural counterpart. The large voivodeships aligned along the Vistula ‘axis’ — Mazowiecka, Lesser Poland and Pomerania — outperform other Polish...
Current Issues in the Geodemographic Studies in Russia
The article takes stock of the “state of affairs” in contemporary research of geographical demography in the USSR and the RF. The issue, concludes the author, has not received sufficient attention, and the use of geodemographic studies in managing regional development remains limited. This article aims to demonstrate three things: the importance of geodemographic approach in comprehensive regional studies to the needs of regional strategic planning; the key features of geodemographic typology...
Typology of the geodemographic situation in the regions of the North-West of Russia
The article evaluates the geodemographic situation at the meso level through complex analysis of demographic, migration, socio-economic processes in the subjects of the North-West Federal District of Russia. The authors have selected 30 assessment indicators which reflect in aggregate the level of demographic development, the quality and standard of living of the population. It allowed to make the typology of subjects NWFD of the Russian Federation by the nature of the geodemographic situation according...
The effect of geographical position and employment fluctuations on rural settlement trends
Structural changes in the economy and spatial and inter-settlement differences in living standards and quality of life lead to fundamental alterations in the national settlement system. Settlement polarisation is gathering momentum, along with the movement of rural population from Russia’s east and north to its southern and metropolitan regions. These processes benefit urban agglomerations. Typological differences between regional settlement systems, still poorly understood but essential for strategic...
Current Geodemographic Problems in the European Union and Migration Crisis of the 2010s
This article demonstrates the effect of the 2010s migration crisis has had on the demographic development of the European Union. Employing statistics and mapping, the study argues that the demographic development of EU states is not affected by either socioeconomic performance or religious, linguistic, and cultural characteristics. Migration inflow differs significantly by country and EU region. The authors analyse major irregular migration routes and show that their use cannot be always explained...
Geo-demographic typology of municipalities of the Kaliningrad region
The article discusses the emergence and development of geo-demographic research in Russia, the US and Europe. It was concluded that despite the differences in purpose and nature of this kind of research, the geo-demographic classification remains the primary methodology in the analysis of geodemographic situation. The cluster analysis is applied to study territorial differentiation of geo-demographic development of the Kaliningrad region.
1. Sleight P. Targeting customers: How to use geodemographic...
Measuring social well-being in the rural areas of the Kaliningrad region
This article evaluates the social wellbeing of rural municipalities of the Kaliningrad region. The degree of social wellbeing is assessed on the basis of an analysis of statistical data and expert evaluations. Rural districts were identified in the Kaliningrad region on the basis of the following criteria: the share of population residing in the rural areas (threshold value of 50 %); the share of non-residential areas (threshold value of 75 %), the share of agricultural lands (threshold value of...
The modern economy of Russia’s Baltic regions in the municipal context
This article analyses the differentiation of municipalities at the municipal and urban district levels in the Kaliningrad and Leningrad regions based on their economic development and the response of their economies to the crises of 2020 and 2022. Emphasis is placed on the possibilities of conducting such assessments by merging Rosstat statistics with publicly available accounting and tax reporting data from the Federal Tax Service. The contribution also assesses the role of small businesses in municipal...
Population and settlement of the Kaliningrad region at the beginning of 2023
The article focuses on the dynamics of the Kaliningrad region population in 1947—2023 and the dynamics components in 1990—2022 in comparison with the national average (based on the official statistics). The authors reveal some territorial features of the demographic processes, such as the development of settlement polarization and suburbanization, as well as the fundamental geodemographic differences between the near suburban zone of Kaliningrad and less urbanized eastern municipalities. It...
Rural area as a peripheral zone: the verdict or potential
Changes in the spatial structure of rural settlement, which occur primarily under the influence of structural transformations in the economy, turn urban agglomerations into the drivers of growth. The periphery becomes, as a rule, depressive. This forces the regional authorities to work out programs for the regional development of peripheral territories characterized as backward areas with depopulation and population outflow, poor infrastructure, low incomes and high rates of unemployment. However...
Geodemography of the Saint Petersburg Suburbs
In this article, we analyse the structure and the development dynamics of the Saint Petersburg suburbs — home to over 1.6 million people. To this end, we employ statistical, historical, and empirical research methods and carry out a comparative analysis. Geodemographic studies should take into account not only demographic data but also the characteristics of the settlement system. Such studies are particularly important for suburbs. Russian social geography pays little attention to suburban studies...
The geoecological potential of sustainable development: The evolution of the concept and its structure
This article focuses on the evolution of views on the geoecological potential and related concepts. The author’s definition of the geoecological potential is offered. The article describes the structure of the geoecological potential through identifying and defining its natural and human capital components. The key elements of the natural capital are raw material, biological, water and a number of other ones. The human capital is divided into geodemographic and moral-cultural capitals.
1. Реймерс...
Social and Economic Space Compression in Border Areas: the Case of the Northwestern Federal District
The so-called “compression” of social and economic space has been the subject of quite a few studies in the past decades. There are two principle types of compression: communicative, that is, associated with the development of transport and information systems, and physical, manifested in the rapid decrease of the number of new territories to explore. While physical and communicative compression are interrelated, they have different spatial expressions depending on geographical conditions, economic...
Human Resource Efficiency as a Development Factor for the Kaliningrad Economy
Various studies of economic and geographical relations in Russian regions often overemphasise the role of economy. However, the quality and quantity of human resources is one of the key factors behind distribution and development of production. Human resources are of even more importance in the Kaliningrad exclave. This paper aims to increase understanding of the role of human resources in the economic development of the Kaliningrad region. The study uses the cohort component method, scenario-based...