Abstract
This article is devoted to a comparative analysis of northern cities in both Russia and the world. It uses a database, which is generated from the freely accessible website Wikipedia, and includes 124 urban settlements in Russia, the United States, Canada, and Norway. It also uses standard statistical methods for analysis. The study’s results support the conclusions of the new economic geography. In the long-term perspective, the growth of agglomerations and the decline of small settlements will continue. A comparative analysis of northern cities highlighted a number of general problems. In the United States, Canada, and Norway the market model is supplemented with significant social investments and public transfers. The Soviet model of northern development is exhausted. Nevertheless, the new Russia continues to rely on the old supporting framework.