Trends in the formation of the rural settlement system

The article examines the problems of the formation of the rural settlement system at the present stage of the socio-economic development of the country, taking into account the historical factor, types of settlements and changes in their functional purpose. Changes in the structure of rural economic sectors and in ensuring connectivity of various types of settlements have also been identified.

The stages in the formation of the settlement system in rural areas, the effect of determining factors at each selected stage are shown. The tendency to curtail the network of rural settlements appeared during the Great Patriotic War and was not due to economic reasons.

As shown, the administrative approach also prevailed in the implementation of the policy of eliminating “promising villages”. Currently, social and cultural factors play an important role in maintaining the existing network of rural settlements.

It has been revealed that currently there is a concentration of the rural population in settlements with a population above 500 people, in which most of the preserved institutions of social infrastructure operate.

The first experience of implementing the Program for the creation of support settlements in the Republic of Bashkortostan is summarized, among which there are cities of regional significance, administrative centers of districts and large villages. They were identified by the availability of social infrastructure facilities to serve the rural population and by their location in the highway network, i.e. by their functional purpose to ensure the connectivity of territories.

By the action of these factors in the foreseeable future, it is possible to determine the prospects for the preservation of a particular settlement. At the same time, the dynamics of the total population of the country and its regions remains an important factor.

The proposals for the formation of a settlement system, taking into account their specialization, are substantiated.

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