Research Projects

2013 Project – Economic development of Russian cities in the post-Soviet period

Project leader - Chair of the Laboratory of Urban Studies, Economist, Professor L. Limonov.

The aim of the research is to offer a typology of Russian cities with populations of over 100 thousand, based on an analysis of the different dynamics of their demographic and economic development in the post-Soviet period, and to identify the main factors that determine one or other type of development.

The empirical basis for the research is statistical data, characterizing the development of administrative centers of subjects of the Federation and Russian Federation cities with populations over 100 thousand, and  analytical materials collected in the form of case studies which describe the impact of institutional factors on the development of cities.

2012 Project – An Analysis of the spatial development factors in suburban belts of Russian megacities (the St Petersburg agglomeration, for example)

Project leader - Chair of the Laboratory, Doctor of Economics, Professor L. Limonov.

The object of the research is the suburbs of the urban agglomeration of St. Petersburg.

The goal is to identify specific factors of spatial development of the suburbs of St. Petersburg as a Russian megacity.

Empirical base is the statistical and analytical materials, which  characterize the development of the St. Petersburg agglomeration; results of interviews and a field study of the location of economic objects around the Ring Road.

Part 1 of the Report presents an analysis of methodological and empirical approaches used by foreign authors to study the metropolitan areas and the logic of  their development, the mechanism of interconnections  in the development of urbanized territories consisting of several administrative units, to define and justify from an economic point of view the spatial limits of an urban agglomeration, as well as approaches to identify various territories as belonging to the suburbs of an agglomeration.  The need to study suburban territories as an integral part of an agglomeration is justified.  The analysis also includes a survey of Russian empirical studies of suburban development, and factors affecting real estate prices in the suburbs.

2011 Project – An Analysis of Institutional factors of the Spatial Development of Urban Agglomerations

Project leader - Head of the Laboratory, Doctor of Economics, Professor L. Limonov.

The object of the research is the urban agglomeration (St. Petersburg urban agglomeration).

The goal of the research is to assess the importance of institutional factors of spatial development of the urban agglomeration.

The empirical basis – statistical and analytical materials on the development of St. Petersburg agglomeration; the results of experts’ survey.

During the research the methodological basics have been set (and reflected in the 1st chapter of the report) by preparing detailed structured analysis of approaches to urban agglomerations as objects of scientific research. 

An economic approach has been synthesized; it focuses on agglomeration effects obtained by economic agents due to geographical concentration.  Also we used a settlement approach; it focuses on the system of settlement and daily migration. We have summarized the results of studies of agglomerations by foreign, Soviet and Russian researchers.

To implement the key task of the research – that is to identify important institutional factors affecting the spatial development of urban agglomerations the terms “spatial development” and “institutional factor” have been operationalized.  This allowed us to formulate criteria for checking the basic hypothesis which is that the observed phenomena (“imperfections”) in the spatial characteristics of St. Petersburg agglomeration are rooted in the imperfections of an institutional environment, which determines urban planning and land use practice.