The Development of Siberia’s Post-Soviet Urban System: Predictions and Reality

Abstract

This work analyzes changes in the scale and structure of Siberia’s urban system for the period from 1991 to 2017. We compare the following characteristics for Russia, Siberia, and individual Siberian regions: urban population dynamics, level of urbanization, and the ratios of the number and population of small, medium-sized, and large cities. Despite its unfavorable demographic backdrop, Siberia’s indicators were not inferior to average Russian numbers in the dynamics and quality of changes in its urban system. Urbanization processes were dependent on the resource economy and on migration from rural areas. Market mechanisms operated in favor of large cities and agglomerations that found a competitive model of development, while industrial cities with a narrower focus on declining markets lost population.

Keywords:

• urbanization
• urban system
• agglomeration
• Siberia
• region