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Sparsely populated geographic edges of colonised nations exhibit heterogenous historical demographic trajectories. In this study, we analyse the longitudinal evolution of the settlement system in Northern Australia to quantify and visualise relative settlement dynamics over 165 years. We extend the existing literature by deviating from analysing each township as an individual entity, instead focusing the analysis on relativities within the entire settlement system. We quantify settlement and systemic volatility through measurement and visualisation of relative settlement sizes using rank-sizes and document rank-size changes between 1856 and 2021. We analyse rapid and non-synergic shifts in rank-trajectories and demonstrate rank-trajectories for selected settlements by types. We found that the expansion of a fly-in-fly-out workforce in the resource sector since the 1980s has meant less turbulent trajectories for the settlement system in the North could potentially open prospects for more sustainable population growth policies while relocating the risks of resource dependency in employment and growing unemployment during economic bust from edges to core areas. Beyond annotating the evolution of the settlement system in Northern Australia, this study demonstrates the potential for policy, economic conditions and definitional peculiarities to affect volatility in the settlement system at geographic edges elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of cities and the transformation of their urban structure reflect the impact of numerous factors: economic, political, social, ideological and others. The Ural region with its concentration of larger cities is among the most urbanised in Russia. The paper explores the urbanistic processes in the Ural region at the turn of the 20th–21st centuries in the context general economic, political and moral factors. The methodological basis of the research rests on the theories of urbanisation and urban development, and the evolutionary approach. The study uses analytical, statistical, and comparative methods. The data for 1989–2022 reflecting the dynamics of urbanistic processes is taken from the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation. The boundaries of the Ural agglomerations are sourced from the official territorial and strategic planning documents. The findings indicate several trends in the transformation of the Ural settlement system and its urbanistic structure, in particular, a qualitative change of the cities’ industrial structure, a decrease in the employment in industry and a fall in the urban population, intensification of agglomerations processes and population tending to concentrate in larger cities. The indicated processes of deurbanisation and deindustrialisation of the Ural region result in the augmented share of larger cities, greater imbalance between size groups of cities. The paper is the first to describe the Ural Urban Square that encompasses four larger urban agglomerations – Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Ufa, and Perm. The paper underscores that the Ural Urban Square becomes a place of concentration of investment, human, economic, and social resources, the core of the development of the Ural macroregion and its neighboring territories.

The essay "Hallstatt Period Rectangular Farmsteads in the Old Bavarian Loess Landscape: The Hascherkeller Site Revisited" deals with the rectangular farmsteads of the Hallstatt period in the old Bavarian loess landscape. Such a farmstead was discovered at the Hascherkeller site on the northern outskirts of Landshut. The excavations were carried out between 1978 and 1981 and led by Peter S. Wells. After four decades, the excavations were resumed and completed. The most important result of the fieldwork is the stratigraphic disentanglement of the numerous ditches. A similar double structure was also discovered about 200 m further southwest. The study focuses on the latest excavation results and the role of the manor house settlement type in the settlement system of the early Iron Age settlement. [Extracted from the article]

Industrial copper production during the Early Bronze (EB) Age III–IV made the southern Dead Sea Valley around Faynan attractive to southern Levantine society. Despite continuous investigations, no previous research has revealed the settlement system or the ceramic regionalism, including the hinterlands. Forty-one recently confirmed sites from the Early Bronze Age in the northern Shawbak, located to the immediate east of Faynan, contained remarkable settlements in the late EB III and EB IV. A typo-chronological analysis of the ceramic assemblages provided evidence of occupation peaks in the late EB III and a continuation of the settlements in the early EB IV and the earlier phase of the late EB IV. The ceramic types indicate influence from the central southern Levant and the Negev Highlands in both periods. The settlements in the northern Shawbak are expected to have played key roles in the copper production system centered on Faynan. Exploitation of wood for smelting fuel, food provisioning, and circulation of copper were major economic activities. In the EB IV, these settlements coexisted with remnants of pastoral nomadism. Therefore, the economic interdependency between the northern Shawbak and Faynan likely intensified temporarily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable development of urban and rural settlements is considered one of the primary objectives of economic, social, and urban planning. Recent studies focused significant attention on the issue of the resilience of rural settlements due to the challenges and threats they face. One of the essential drivers affecting the resilience of rural settlements is cultural heritage preservation. The research methods were based on the complex systems approach. The study employed a multidimensional analysis method to evaluate the resilience of rural settlements based on five sub-systems: social, economic, environmental, physical, and managerial. The proposed method for evaluation of the settlement sustainability involves the application of a settlement development index and considers the preservation of cultural heritage objects. The data sources used contain open-access information and statistical data provided by municipal organizations, including GIS maps, statistical, and archival records. The study aim was to establish methodological frameworks for evaluating the influence of cultural heritage on the resilience of rural settlements as well as to obtain a quantitative assessment of the resilience of rural settlements within the Zavałočycy local council, located at Hlusk district, Mahiloŭ region, Belarus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the challenges associated with establishing a system of key settlements as one of the tools to ensure balanced spatial development of the country. In 2022, the Government of the Russian Federation approved methodological recommendations for classifying settlements as key ones, and corresponding lists were compiled in each region. The purpose of this article is to assess the practical applicability of these methodological recommendations as a mechanism for managing spatial development, using the regions of the European North of Russia as a case study. The study employs research methods such as synthesis, generalization, statistical analysis, spatial analysis, and content analysis. The study is based on works by Russian and international authors on spatial and regional economics, statistical data, and regulatory documents issued by public authorities. The research examines the role of key settlements in the socio-economic development of regions and tests the officially approved methodological recommendations in the European North of Russia. A list of small towns, semi-urban settlements, and villages that meet the specified criteria has been compiled. Based on a content analysis of the regulatory documents regarding the regions of European North of Russia, the towns and settlements were identified that had been classified as key ones. It is observed that authorities often do not fully adhere to the official requirements outlined in the methodological recommendations, mainly due to their general nature and the lack of consideration for regional features. Another issue lies in the absence of a hierarchy of key settlements. The novelty of this research is associated with providing an assessment of the practical applicability of the approved methodological recommendations for selecting key settlements. The results of the study have scientific value and practical applicability within relevant fields of study and can also be used by federal authorities and local governments when developing measures for the formation and development of a network of key settlements on the territory of the European North of Russia.

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 regions in geodemographic terms. The situation is relatively favourable in Greater Poland, where the country’s main motorways converge. Districts and voivodeships where the geodemographic situation is more vulnerable can be divided into two groups: depressed and backward. The first one includes the traditionally industrial voivodeships of Southern and Central Poland; the second mainly consists of eastern voivodeships. The population decline in Eastern Poland is gathering pace: the 2021 census shows, a more or less favourable geodemographic situation is observed only in the main eastern cities and their environs. This state of affairs is largely due to the Polish government deliberately halting cooperation with Russia and Belarus, including cross-­border collaborations. Yet, this decision seems to create more problems for Poland than its eastern neighbours. If the current trends persist, the eastern voivodeships, the stronghold of the right-wing conservatives in power, may not only rapidly lose population but also face a reduction in the level of socioeconomic development.

Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize securities settlement systems, offering an efficient, reliable, and cost-effective alternative to traditional methods. Its features, including distributed data authenticity, programmability, and scalability, can enhance security and efficiency in China’s securities market, while promoting a sustainable energy future. However, to fully leverage the benefits of blockchain in securities registration and settlement, it is crucial to address algorithmic loopholes and operational risks associated with smart contracts. Establishing blockchain technical standards and rules is also necessary to ensure smooth system operation. Furthermore, given the uncertainty of the final settlement time point, adherence to decentralization principles and the incorporation of embedded technology for supervision are essential. Legislative measures are required to regulate smart contracts and mitigate systemic risk effectively. This will ensure a stable settlement time expectation and enable fair allocation of legal responsibility among the involved parties. Additionally, other regulatory approaches should be implemented to provide effective supervision and adapt to the rapid development of blockchain. By addressing challenges and risks, blockchain’s full potential can be realized, enabling a sustainable energy future, while enhancing security and efficiency in China’s securities market.

Formulation of the problem. In 2020, there were some radical changes that took place in the administrative and territorial structure of Zaporizhia region; as a result, 5 new administrative districts were created on its territory instead of 20 previous ones, which significantly affected the structure of the regional settlement system. Therefore, the question arises about the study of the settlement system of the region in the new socio-geographical realities. The purpose of the article. The purpose of the article consists in identification of the current state and spatial differences of the system of settlement of the territory of Zaporizhia region after the reform of the administrative and territorial structure. Methods. The study used methods for calculating quantitative and relative indicators of the state of urban and rural settlement systems, the comparative analysis of the assessment results, as well as methods for typing administrative districts according to the structure of the settlement system. Results. For each new district of the region, there were calculated the following indicators: the population density, population concentration index, the average population density of settlements, the average density of settlements, the average distance between them, the leadership index of the administrative centers of the districts, the level of urbanization of the territory by the share of the urban population, according to the hierarchical method of O. Tereshchenko and according to E. Arriaga’s approach. According to these indicators, the spatial differences in the settlement system of the administrative districts of the region were revealed. Differentiation of the system of urban settlements of the administrative districts of the region significantly exceeds the contrast of the average general indicators of the system of settlement of districts. This is especially evident when using hierarchical approaches to determine the level of urbanization. The district systems of rural settlements in Zaporizhia region have smoother differences in terms of similar indicators in comparison with the systems of urban settlement, which indicates the relative rationality of the new administrative-territorial structure. Based on the calculations, a typological grouping of the new administrative districts of Zaporizhia region according to the modern structure of settlement was carried out.As a result of this grouping, 2 types of districts were singled out: 1) districts with a monocentric settlement system; these include Zaporizhia, Melitopol and Berdyansk districts (they are clearly distinguished by the size, functions performed and the impact on the settlement system of multifunctional regional centers); 2) districts with a polycentric dispersed settlement system, these include Vasilievsky and Pologovsky districts (in these districts there are no centers with strongly marked leading positions both in terms of population and functions performed). Scientific novelty and practical significance. For the first time, there was carriedout an assessmentof the settlement system of the new administrative districts of Zaporizhia region; the spatial differencesof the settlement system were revealed according to various indicators. The data obtained can be used to optimize the territorial management of the region, to predict its further development and to work out strategies for socio-economic development.

Mobile operators’ data are one type of Big Data. These are any data about events related to the use of a mobile phone. These data include subscriber identifiers and associated time and location attributes. Big Data in general usually includes datasets with sizes beyond the ability of commonly used software tools to capture, curate, manage, and process data within a tolerable elapsed time. Big Data can be described by the following key characteristics: volume, variety, velocity, veracity, value, variability etc. Mobile operators’ data are supplied by the Mobile Network Operators. The main distinguishing features of the operator are, firstly, the possession of a state license to use the radio frequency spectrum, and, secondly, the possession or control over the elements of the network infrastructure necessary to provide services to subscribers in the authorized radio frequency spectrum. The smallest structural territorial element for cellular communication systems is a cell; its dimensions can be different (250 by 250 m, 500 by 500 m, etc.).

Definition: Mobile operators' data are one type of Big Data. These are any data about events related to the use of a mobile phone. These data include subscriber identifiers and associated time and location attributes. Big Data in general usually includes datasets with sizes beyond the ability of commonly used software tools to capture, curate, manage, and process data within a tolerable elapsed time. Big Data can be described by the following key characteristics: volume, variety, velocity, veracity, value, variability etc. Mobile operators' data are supplied by the Mobile Network Operators. The main distinguishing features of the operator are, firstly, the possession of a state license to use the radio frequency spectrum, and, secondly, the possession or control over the elements of the network infrastructure necessary to provide services to subscribers in the authorized radio frequency spectrum. The smallest structural territorial element for cellular communication systems is a cell; its dimensions can be different (250 by 250 m, 500 by 500 m, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a review of global and Russian research on features and patterns of the development of regions of a country in crisis and post-crisis periods. It is shown that the theoretical foundation of studies on this issue is the concept of regional resilience, as developed in global research since the 2010s. The features of the resilience concept are analyzed and compared with regional growth theories and economic security studies. Factors that influence the resilience of regions of a country to economic crises are summarized: they include features of a region's settlement system (the ratio of the urban to rural populations) and its position in the national settlement system (location in relation to large urban agglomerations), the structure of the region's economy (level of diversification, specific features of specialization and employment structure), innovation potential and quality of human capital, cohesion of the local community, and quality of public administration. It is noted that differences in regional resilience levels are consistent; in particular, the features of regional spatial development observed during the current crisis (associated with the COVID-19 pandemic) follow previously established patterns. Negative consequences of crises, specifically, regional divergence and reduced inclusiveness of economic growth, are also described. Issues of transforming the state spatial development policy during crisis periods, as well as opportunities for managing regional resilience, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 20th century, humanity finally chose the urban path of development as a priority. In the 21st century, the state strategic plans focus on large cities and urban agglomerations under the continuing urbanization. Rural territories are increasingly perceived by the authorities and urbanists as some dying forms, sacrificed for the development of cities. In the Russian Federation, this is especially true for a number of regions (Moscow Region, Sverdlovsk Region, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, etc.), in which municipalities are turned into urban districts, and all administrative functions are transferred to the cities. The countryside is still rural, but its population is practically removed from decision-making. At the same time, there are reverse migrations - of urban dwellers to the countryside, which leads to further expansion of cities. The term settlement system means a set of settlements located in a certain territory and connected by a common organization of management, services and labor market. Therefore, the Crimean region has both - overpopulated rural areas and developing cities. The article considers the settlement system of the Crimean Peninsula, in particular its urban part, as a basis of its demographic development. Based on statistical, cartographic, regional and historical approaches, the author considers the dynamics of urban settlement and such a phenomenon as urban agglomerations; identifies the main factors in the development of urban settlements, the subsystems of the urban settlement system and its central places. The article also describes the Simferopol-Sevastopol dual-core agglomeration which seems to break up into two autonomous agglomerations due to a range of factors.

Burzenland (Terra Barcensis) is a historical and ethnographic region on the border of the Eastern and Southern Carpathians, in the south-eastern part of Transylvania, in the geographical centre of Romania. Data series regarding the settlements of Burzenland coming from written documents and administrative sources have been summarized on maps. With the help of maps, the formation of the settlement system of this area and the changes in administration can be traced from the 1200s to 1876. During this period, the traditional system of counties-seats-regions operated in Transylvania. This spatial organization formed the spatial framework for social and economic processes for half a millennium, until the final abolition of the system. During the Habsburg Empire period, the administration was reorganized between 1784-1790 and 1850-1860. The level of districts comprising several counties, seats and regions was organized according to political and economic aspects. Territorial units that are heterogeneous in ethnic, denominational, social, often economic, and natural interests served the interests of the centralizing power. The present study describes the characteristics of the administrative system of the county-seat-region of Burzenland that has been operating for half a millennium. We summarized the geographical features of the Barcaság, the subsequent Brassó/Braşov region administration, in the period from 1200 to 1876. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formulation of the problem. In 2020, there were some radical changes that took place in the administrative and territorial structure of Zaporizhia region; as a result, 5 new administrative districts were created on its territory instead of 20 previous ones, which significantly affected the structure of the regional settlement system. Therefore, the question arises about the study of the settlement system of the region in the new socio-geographical realities. The purpose of the article. The purpose of the article consists in identification of the current state and spatial differences of the system of settlement of the territory of Zaporizhia region after the reform of the administrative and territorial structure. Methods. The study used methods for calculating quantitative and relative indicators of the state of urban and rural settlement systems, the comparative analysis of the assessment results, as well as methods for typing administrative districts according to the structure of the settlement system. Results. For each new district of the region, there were calculated the following indicators: the population density, population concentration index, the average population density of settlements, the average density of settlements, the average distance between them, the leadership index of the administrative centers of the districts, the level of urbanization of the territory by the share of the urban population, according to the hierarchical method of O. Tereshchenko and according to E. Arriaga’s approach. According to these indicators, the spatial differences in the settlement system of the administrative districts of the region were revealed. Differentiation of the system of urban settlements of the administrative districts of the region significantly exceeds the contrast of the average general indicators of the system of settlement of districts. This is especially evident when using hierarchical approaches to determine the level of urbanization. The district systems of rural settlements in Zaporizhia region have smoother differences in terms of similar indicators in comparison with the systems of urban settlement, which indicates the relative rationality of the new administrative-territorial structure. Based on the calculations, a typological grouping of the new administrative districts of Zaporizhia region according to the modern structure of settlement was carried out.As a result of this grouping, 2 types of districts were singled out: 1) districts with a monocentric settlement system; these include Zaporizhia, Melitopol and Berdyansk districts (they are clearly distinguished by the size, functions performed and the impact on the settlement system of multifunctional regional centers); 2) districts with a polycentric dispersed settlement system, these include Vasilievsky and Pologovsky districts (in these districts there are no centers with strongly marked leading positions both in terms of population and functions performed). Scientific novelty and practical significance. For the first time, there was carriedout an assessmentof the settlement system of the new administrative districts of Zaporizhia region; the spatial differencesof the settlement system were revealed according to various indicators. The data obtained can be used to optimize the territorial management of the region, to predict its further development and to work out strategies for socio-economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. In modern Economics, one of the most common and simplest methods of analyzing the balance of urban settlement systems is to assess their compliance with Zipf's law or the rank–size rule. The basis of this pattern is the relationship between urban population and its place in the hierarchy of towns ranked in descending order of size. Based on the results of the study conducted, the article assesses the balance of the urban settlement system of the European North Russia, as one of its regions, by analyzing its compliance with Zipf’s law. Materials and Methods. The official data from the Federal State Statistics Service on the population of towns in the European North of Russia for 1959, 1989 and 2019 were used as materials of the study. The method of constructing a linear regression between the logarithm of the actual population and the logarithm of the rank of the town was used to verify Zipf's law for the urban network of the region in a certain period. In order to substantiate the conclusions drawn, an analysis of the dynamics of the number of towns and the share of the population living in them was carried out. The monographic method, as well as the methods of tabular and graphical data visualization, was used to interpret the results of the calculations. Results. Based on the analysis of data on the application of the rank–size rule for the towns in the European North of Russia, it has been found that Zipf’s law was not fully observed in any time period, which indicates the imbalance of the existing urban settlement system. In the period from 1959 to 2019, there was an increase in the concentration of the population in the major cities of the region. The imbalance is also caused by the growing number of small towns with a population that does not correspond to the optimal value according to Zipf's law. Discussion and Conclusion. Based on the calculations, the author has come to the conclusion that the cities of Arkhangelsk and Cherepovets have the potential for growth, as well as some others with a population of up to 100 thousand people. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the results obtained to prognosticate the population of towns in the European North of Russia when planning the location of production facilities, as well as transport and social infrastructure in the region.

The article examines the settlement system of the Russian North, which was previously determined by decisions of ministries and departments, and now it is changing under the influence of resource corporations' activities. The focus is on small and medium-sized towns that are part of the supporting framework of settlement, ensuring connectivity of the northern territories. The authors analyze the dynamics of population, including urban one, and the population of small and medium-sized cities. The study identifies periods of upward and downward dynamics for each population group and settlements. If the country is drawing the population to the west, then in the North it is concentrated in the Asian part. The article shows that urban settlements were created multifunctional, with the monopoly of a city-forming enterprise, which, on the one hand, made them economically vulnerable, and on the other hand — more adaptable to external conditions. According to the author's methodology, small and medium towns are ranked according to the share of the population of these cities in the total population of the region. The authors have identified four groups of regions that have an insufficient, medium, high and excessive share of the population of small and medium towns; the optimal boundaries of this share are proposed. The authors have identified four groups of regions that have an insufficient, medium, high and excess share of the population of small and medium towns; the optimal boundaries of this share are proposed. The study revealed the similarity (concentration of the population in large cities) and the difference in the structure of settlements in the North (the share of the population living in small and medium urban settlements, is lower in the countryside). The research results will be applied in the development of strategic documents for the development of northern towns.

The purpose of this paper is the presentation of the settlement of the first farming communities of the Linear Pottery culture in the Polish lowlands. A case study of three neighboring micro-regions excavated on a large scale in eastern Kuyavia was conducted, which offered the possibility of analyzing various levels of the settlement. Based on the results obtained a local model of the LBK occupation in Kuyavia could be reconstructed. I argue that despite some regional variability a very general common settlement pattern existed for the whole LBK consisting of an iconic longhouse as the basic unit, the presence of micro-regional clusters of more or less contemporary sites, and the preference for regions with optimal environmental conditions. However, a detailed comparison within and between separate sites in the study area revealed some degree of variability inside this supposedly homogeneous pattern which can indicate the existence of different social units among small regional communities and their changes over time.

Among the sites of the Golden Horde period of the Middle Volga region, a special group consists of the sites of the Samara region, which includes the Samara Luka of the Volga and the basins of the Usa, Samara, Kinel, and Sok rivers. The analysis of the topography of the sites in the context of the natural and geographical characteristics of the area under consideration allowed us to determine its territorial structure. Based on the features of settlement placement, a zonal zoning model is proposed for the right-bank and left-bank sections of the Samara Volga region. On the territory of the righ-bank district, three microdistricts are allocated: 1) Usa microdistrict;, 2) microdistrict of the inner part of the Samara Luka; 3) microdistrict of the Syzranka River basin. In the left-bank, taking into account the modern data of the territory, six microdistricts can be distinguished. 1) Northern на trans-Volga microdistrict located in the northern zone close to the bank of the Volga River; 2) Samara-Volga microdistrict, including sites of the mouth of the Samara River, Sok, the bank of the Volga River; 3) Sok microdistrict, sites are located along the bed of the Sok and Kondurcha rivers; 4) Kinel microdistrict, sites are located along the river Bolshoi Kinel to the confluence with the Samara River; 5) Samara steppe microdistrict in the eastern zone of the region under consideration; 6) Southern trans-Volga microdistrict. Each microdistrict is characterized by a corresponding supporting framework of settlement, which is associated with the peculiarities of the functioning of sites.

The development of large cities affects suburban settlements. Territories in suburbs are diverse and variable in size, functions and combinations, the nature of production and distribution of transport. For the last ten years, suburban settlements have begun to transform due to urban overpopulation. There are spontaneous elements in the development of processes that lead to the growth of suburban areas and they are used inefficiently effectively. The relevance of the study was due to the need to analyze the suburbs as part of the city. The article analyzes the structure and dynamics of development of the suburban area near the city of Aktobe. The development of suburban areas is one of the elements of changing the economy of the city and determines their development. The study used statistical, comparative and analytical, isochronous methods. Suburban zone Aktobe represents a geodemographic interest in the strength of its formation and dimensions. The most active and attractive part of the suburban zone is located 15-30 km from the center of Aktobe, between 40-minute and half-hour isochrons. In the following years, the city of Aktobe is rapidly developing. The main issues of the development of Aktobe: the division of the city into functional zones, town planning, development of the main infrastructure, protection of recreational zones, the formation of green zones, etc. SWOT-analysis of settlements around Aktobe showed that one of the strong sides is a favorable transport and logistics situation. There were other strong and weak sides, opportunities and obstacles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goals. The article publishes and analyzes archaeological materials of the modern period found at Pervomaisky-1 site discovered in foothill-steppe areas of the Southern Trans-Urals (a high plateau 14 km west of the right bank of the Ural River, Abzelilovsky District, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia) in 2019. Materials. The collection includes three groups of pottery (coarse, gray-clay and red-clay), porcelain and earthenware dishes, various iron products (knives, harrow teeth, fragments of a cast-iron pot, horseshoes, etc., and no weapons traced), pieces of iron ore, animal bones, etc. Results. The source analysis of the finds and analogies from the rest of the Urals, Volga Region and Western Siberia made it possible to date the site to the mid — late 19th century and typologically classify it a short-term sedentary agricultural settlement. The paper establishes a relative synchronicity of all types of pottery (including impurities to clay dough), porcelain and earthenware, showing a high proportion of tableware and ‘tea’ utensils, which may be associated with the type of the site. The absence of large cast-iron cauldrons is defined as a marker of some agricultural (not nomadic) population. The involvement of historical data and cartographic materials deepened the analysis and made it possible to determine the site is a field camp of Cossacks from Magnitnaya stanitsa (Orenburg Cossack Host) that emerged after the establishment of Novolineiny District and the 200 km eastward transfer of Russia’s national frontier. This resulted in the territory turned into a deep rear area. So, the former fortress became a rich village where trade was developing and the population was rapidly increasing. Cartographic data show the object was located in the center of a narrow (5-6 km) arable land strip bounded by the main transport artery of the region — Orenburg Post Road — in the east, and by the border of Cossack and Bashkir lands in the west. The conducted comprehensive studies substantiate dating parameters of the archaeological complex which is of great importance for further development of modern history-related archeology in the entire Ural–West Siberian Region, and show the likely abundance of agricultural field camps across the territory that can be viewed as a separate type of archaeological objects.

This article examines the peculiarities of the settlement network of the established Kolomyia district (raion) of Ivano-Frankivsk oblast and its importance in the formation of territorial communities (hromada). We analyzed the peculiarities of the functioning of local settlement systems through the indicators of transport accessibility to the center of the community and administrative service centers, as well as the concentration coefficient of the population. We identified strengths and weaknesses, as well as threats and opportunities during the SWOT-analysis.

The paper proposes a focus on three main aspects related to the spread of the new coronavirus in our country: the correlations that have been established between the spread of the Covid-19 virus and the settlement system of our country; the urban and territorial phenomena that can be associated, positively or negatively, with the diffusion of the virus; and, finally, the correspondence between homogeneous clusters of Italian provinces (due to the current most significant urban phenomena) and the intensity and spread of the infection. The research is divided in four steps: the identification of the scientific and disciplinary approach, the definition of territorial areas and their descriptive variables, the choice of computational models, and the evaluation of the results. The main findings of the study highlight that significant correlations are not always identifiable between settlement characteristics and the spread of the infection. The diffusion of the new coronavirus is closely related to some of the main features of the demographic (e.g. people aged 65 years and above) and socio-economic (e.g. GDP for inhabitant) structure of the urban population.

Changes in social relations in Ukraine, its transition to a post-industrial society, structural changes in regional development lead in modern conditions to changes in the territorial organization of society, which directly affects the trends of regional development. The highest form of territorial organization of society are agglomerations – uban agglomerations. Defining the boundaries of agglomerations is an important step in the process of studying agglomerations and managing regional development, because it is necessary to clearly understand the territory to which the administrative influence should extend and the number of city councils whose activities should be coordinated in implementing regional policy. The purpose of this work is to analyze the existing methods, approaches and techniques for determining the boundaries of agglomerations, development of an algorithm for establishing the boundaries of agglomerations and its testing on the materials of the Kharkiv region. The main theoretical and methodological starting points of delimitation of agglomeration boundaries are presented, approaches, methods and techniques, their quantitative and qualitative criteria, indicators, etc. are determined. The author 's algorithm for establishing agglomeration boundaries is substantiated, initial positions, key indicators, coefficients and indices are indicated. The proposed algorithm was tested on the materials of Kharkiv region. It is established that the Kharkiv agglomeration is monocentric and well formed. The development coefficient of the Kharkiv urban agglomeration is 30.7, the agglomeration coefficient is 0.13, the agglomeration index is 0.25, which confirms the high level of development of this agglomeration and the significant polarizing effect of the city of Kharkiv. The applied indicators of concentration and population density, transport accessibility, allowed to establish that the Kharkiv agglomeration has a powerful organizational center of development - the city of Kharkiv, the polarizing effect of which is more pronounced in two districts – Kharkiv and Dergachiv, which form the central zone of the agglomeration. The center of the agglomeration is connected with remote centers of peripheral areas by radial-radial connections by transport and other types of connections, which forms an external zone consisting of Bohodukhiv, Valkiv, Vovchansk, Zmiiv, Zolochiv, Novovodolazk, Pecheneg and Chuhuiv districts. Based on the study, based on the principle of superposition, the author's vision of delimitation of the Kharkiv agglomeration in 2019 is presented. The zone of influence of organizational functions of the center extends to a radius of 70 km, but there are significant territorial disparities in the center and periphery. The city of Kharkiv assumes most of the functions: administrative, economic, social, infrastructural and recreational, which to some extent hinders the development of small towns that are part of the agglomeration. The strengths of the Kharkiv agglomeration are indicated, as well as the priority directions of development are singled out. Given that the Kharkiv agglomeration is monocentric, and within it, as in the region there is a sharp uneven development of the center and periphery, effective management and addressing the hypertrophied development of the city, spatial planning and infrastructure development will alleviate this situation and facilitate the transition of the region. to the polycentric model of spatial organization, respectively, and the reduction of territorial disparities in the level and quality of life of the population of the Kharkiv region.

The paper analyzes the problems encountered during elaboration of the spatial development strategy of the Russian Federation and reducing the effectiveness of state policy in this area. A significant improvement in the quality of governing over spatial development sphere requires solving a number of issues, including setting up the statistical foundation; publishing the statistical data on federal and regional budgets and improving its transparency; establishment of official methods of defining urban agglomeration; increasing the quality of municipal statistics as a whole. Several issues require extensive expert discussion. Among them are mostly those concerning macroregions: how important is decreasing territorial disparities at the level of macroregions; what is the point of defining macroregions and creating the strategies of their socio-economic development; how fast can the difference between regions grow as long as the less developed regions maintain high rates of development. At the federal level, there is a prevalent desire to make decisions ‘from above’ ignoring development ‘from below’. One example of such attitude are the perspective economic specializations of the regions. This issue should be solved in the framework of state investment policy, during decision-making on providing state support to investment projects in certain territories

In the modern context of, one of the main tasks in the regional development management is to optimally realize the complex potential of the territories, which requires a comprehensive study of the spatial structure and evolutionary potential of agglomerations of all levels in order to identify disparities in their development, correct imbalances and optimize the spatial organization of the region. The first step to solve this problem is to identify the spatial structure and evaluate the interconnections of agglomerations sequentially, from local to regional level. This is becoming more relevant in the context of administrative and territorial reform in Ukraine. The purpose of this study is to analyze the prospects for the development of urban agglomerations and the organization of the administrative and territorial structure of Kharkiv region in view of the prevailing influence of the city of Kharkiv and the Kharkiv agglomeration. The basic theoretical and methodological starting points of the study of urban agglomerations are presented; their characteristics and parameters of boundary determination were defined. The essence of the method of modeling of integral influence function (IIF modeling) was revealed, the author's research methodology was substantiated. The tendencies of introduction of administrative and territorial reform in Ukraine were analyzed. It was established that Kharkiv region occupies mediocre places in terms of formation of the united territorial communities, there were 23 ones in the oblast (3 of them are city, 12 town, 8 rural ones) by the end of 2019. The scheme for dividing into enlarged districts has not yet been approved. According to different plans / proposals, the existing 27 districts of the oblast should be consolidated into nine, seven, six or four enlarged districts (counties). All of the above proposals were considered by the authors, it is established that the existing projects do not fully cover the main prevailing factors of allocation of competitive districts, do not take into account the role of historically formed system of settlement, spatial-statistical parameters, integral potential of territories, urbanization and agglomeration. The authors performed the IIF modeling and constructed the IIF surface of the weighted average settlement potential of Kharkiv region by the base radius of influence (2, 10, 20, and 30 km), which allowed to determine the features of the Kharkov agglomeration structure and the interaction of the settlements in the region by different radiuses of interaction, primary agglomerations, prospective growth points. On the basis of the obtained results of IIF modeling, the author's model of administrative and territorial division of Kharkiv region into eight enlarged districts was proposed, given the specific features of the settlement system and the correlation of area and population of the modeled administrative and territorial units. The scientifically grounded division of the region into enlarged districts (counties) and stimulation of their development will contribute to the most complete and rational use of the territories potential, increase of economic, human, investment potential, rise of the level and quality of life of the population, etc.

Reforming the administrative-territorial structure on the basis of union village and urban councils into territorial communities has led to new transformation processes in the settlement system of Zaporizhia region and the country as a whole. The article analyzes the union of territorial communities in Zaporizhia region after the completion of the decentralization reform, calculates the density of population, settlements and the average quantity of settlements in territorial communities in the districts of Zaporizhia region. The study region ranks fifth in Ukraine among of united territorial communities. Almost 65% of the total population of the region is concentrated in Zaporizhia, Melitopol, Berdyansk, Energodar and Tokmak urban territorial communities. In the course of the research it was determined that more than a third of all communities of Zaporizhia region have a population of 5 to 10 thousand people. In the region is dominated by communities with an area of 100-200 km² and 200-300 km2. Chernihivska, Yakymivska and Primorska united territorial communities were created without taking into account the availability of public services for all settlements of the community. The highest population density is observed in the north-west of Zaporizhia region and in points in the united territorial communities, which include large cities in the region. In two thirds of the territorial communities of the region the amount of settlements does not exceed 15. Territorially, the highest density of settlements is observed in the north of Zaporizhia region, and the lowest - in the south-east and west. During the calculation of the population concentration index, it was determined that in Vasylivka and Pologi districts there is an uneven distribution of the population. Zaporizhia, Melitopol, and Berdyansk districts stand out with their abruptly uneven distribution of population. As a result of the change of the administrative-territorial structure of the Zaporizhia region, the process of functional transformation of the settlement system began. The Chernihivska, Yakymivska, Huliaipilska and Primorska communities have merged a large amount of local councils, so they will be most affected by changes in the functional connections between the settlements. There was also a breaking in functional connections in the settlements that were separated from the main part of the territory of the former districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shovakh cave is a late Middle Paleolithic cave site in Northern Israel, situated ca. 8 km from the Sea of Galilee. The Cave was originally was excavated by Sally Binford in 1962, and results of the analyses of its lithic assemblages played a major role in the then-raging Bordes-Binford debate, as well as in the initiation of the field of inquires known as “technological organization.” A renewed excavation in 2016 led to a better understanding of site formation at the cave and to a refined chrono-stratigraphic framework of the Middle Paleolithic occupations at the site. Here we present the results of the analyses of lithic and faunal assemblages combining material from both the original and renewed excavations at the site. Together with the results of the geoarcheological work, we are able to offer a refined reconstruction of the modes of occupation in the site as well as of its role within late MP settlement systems in the Levant. We show that during three periods of site occupation, settlements in Shovakh were mostly ephemeral, a rare phenomenon among the late MP cave sites. At the same time, the lithic and faunal assemblages suggest that the nature of these ephemeral occupations differed temporally and spatially. In each of these cases, the fitting scenario for Shovakh’s occupations is as a “transient camp,” used over short-term occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a new approach to the issue of agglomerations in the contemporary world and gives specific national characteristics of agglomerations. The process of town formation in Russia is analyzed. The article points out the procedural nature of agglomeration and different qualities of agglomeration and conurbation. It speaks about the correlation between the Soviet approach to the city and the village and the current processes in today’s Russia.

Among the cities of Russia and Europe, including the Baltic Sea region, it is possible to single out the category of cities (towns) with a population of 20 to 50 thousand inhabitants, which is of particular interest for study, since it is the borderline category between small and medium- sized towns. Semi-medium-sized towns perform various functions in regional settlement systems, especially as centers for the formation of socio-economic regions. Another important factor in regional development is the active participation of semi-medium-sized towns in international cooperation with municipalities of the EU border states. The study deals with semi-medium- sized towns and their functions in five regions of Russia’s Northwestern Federal District, and the socio-economic regions formed by semi-medium-sized towns are visually represented. As an example, five semi-medium-sized towns of the Kaliningrad region are considered, with emphasis on the role of each town in regional development. The author analyses the participation of semimedium- sized towns of the Kaliningrad region in cross-border cooperation projects, identifying tendencies in territorial interactions of semi-medium-sized towns in the region with municipalities of the EU countries undertaken as part of trans-border and cross-border cooperation and benefits this cooperation has for the region.

Banking digitization has become incredibly important for credit institutions because an increasing number of customers prefer to use digital devices to carry out banking activities due to simplicity and comfort. For this reason, credit institutions have invested substantially in digital capabilities and have aggressively improved the adoption and use of lower-cost digital channels to deepen customer relationships and enhance customer banking experience. Remote banking services called "remote banking" are considered important for credit institutions as they are one of the main revenue generating channels. In this paper we present how banking technology is used both in the relationships of a credit institution with non-banking clients and in interbank transactions.

Urbanization, which changes the habitual living environment of people, in the process of its development leads to increased negative factors, affecting their livelihoods and health. A number of problems, associated with the development of cities: high population density, changes in insolation norms, lack of space for the formation of a comfortable urban environment, etc has been considered in the article. The attention has been focused on the fact, that the revision of such standards as insolation time, location of parking lots, etc., associated with the creation of compact cities, should be balanced.

In the last four years steps are being taken in the Russian Federation to organize the spatial development of its territory. The distribution of the urban population of Russia by types of settlements has been analyzed. The main problems of the territorial organization of the population have been identified. The negative aspects of the spatial development of Russia have been noted and, in this regard, the goals, directions and mechanisms of the strategy of spatial development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025 have been considered.

This paper attempts to reconstruct the economy of the Early Mediaeval population of Primorye, based on an analysis of data obtained from archaeological sites of the Mohe culture. Sites of the Mohe culture in Primorye date from the 6th to the beginning of the 8th c. AD. With the emergence of the Bohai state in the western districts of Primorye, Bohai cultural elements gradually replace Mohe across the region and Mohe sites gradually disappear in the archaeological record. However, some features of the Mohe material culture continue to exist for some time. Paleogeographic evidence indicates a cooling of climate and decrease in rainfall in the 6th to 7th cc. AD and climate warming in the 8th c. There are limited but reliable archaeological evidences from Mohe sites for the existence of agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting, sea and river gathering and fishing, and plant gathering. However, it is not yet possible to rank these components of the economy by economic significance for the population. Our study shows an increase in agricultural activity from the early to the late stages of Mohe culture. The early sites do not demonstrate a significant role for agriculture, in contrast to the later sites, where there is clear evidence for an increase in the list of cultural plants and the volume of agricultural production. Changes in agricultural practice occurred rapidly and were triggered by historical events in the region, connected with the formation of Bohai State and the expansion of its borders. Changes also can be seen chronologically in the settlement patterns of the Mohe of Primorye. Early Mohe settled in places convenient for their traditional activities. At a later stage, sites which controlled territory and the waterway along the Razdolnaya river appear. Evidence for other components of the Mohe economy are limited and only confirm the presence of their in the Mohe subsistence systems in this region, but they are insufficient for more detailed reconstruction. It has been found that the Mohe of Primorye raised at least two types of domestic animals — pigs and horses. There is mostly indirect evidence for hunting (arrowheads, knives, tools for currying skins) from the Mohe sites. The absence of mammal and bird bones prevents any more certain reconstruction of Mohe hunting objects. A few shells of marine and freshwater molluscs were found on three sites. Bone remains of eight species of marine fishes were also found on one site. The gathering of wild plants is confirmed by the finds of seeds and fruits of seven plants species. Most of the plants were used for food and some for medical purposes.

The comparative spatio-temporal analysis of the demographic development of the singleindustry towns of the Republic of Belarus in 2000-2016 is presented in the article. Based on the trend approach, the method of dynamic series, balance and cartographic methods, similarities and differences in the dynamics of the natural movement of the urban population of Belarus and the population of the single-industry towns are revealed. The peculiarities of the urban structure of the single-industry towns, trends in the population dynamics are revealed, their place in the structure of the urban settlement of Belarus is determined.

It considers the prerequisites for developing a methodology in order to create touristic recreational complexes based on resource capacities of local settlement systems (territorial communities) in Ukraine. Attention is given to the situation in the industry and its prospective capabilities to play a principal role in economic development of a number of territorial communities. It outlines a number of principles that need to be used when considering the process in the urban planning activities. It also provides a specific example of a strategic program of local system development with the touristic and recreational component as its basis. The research materials analyze the current state of affairs of urban planning activities in Ukraine, in particular, peculiarities of regional planning, using three largest cities and their suburbs as case studies. A number of negative trends have been discovered in the relations between the city and suburban area, that need to be resolved during the subsequent stages of designing to take into account the changes in the management system - decentralization and development of territorial communities that will be interacting with the city on systemic positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is devoted to assessing the impact of passenger railway transport increasing speed on change in the conditions of commuting. The role of commuting in the composition of settlement relationships is considered on the example of transport directions from Moscow to Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, Belgorod, and Kursk, on which projects for a significant speed increase of railway traffic were implemented in the 2010s. The data on the dynamics of passenger traffic for different types of trains and the results of sociological surveys of regional express trains' passengers in the selected directions serve as the informational base for assessing the conditions for the transformation of settlement systems through changes in the railway transport. The improved accessibility to transport between Moscow and several regional centers due to the launch of express trains has affected the spatial behavior of residents of these regions in different ways. Conclusions are made on the effect of the technical and economic parameters of the speed increase in rail transport, the established settlement system, and other geographical parameters of the territory on the transformation of rail links. Due to these factors, the effects of speed increase have manifested themselves unequally in the considered directions. It is shown that they are observed most clearly in the territories where the increasing speed has made it possible to implement the potential of intra-agglomeration mobility (Tver) and less noticeably on routes of medium length involving inter-agglomeration (Nizhny Novgorod) links. Some cities (Oryol, Kursk, and Belgorod) are characterized by a restrained effect of the speed increase in rail transport on the change in the commuting, which is sensitive to the distance from the capital and to the potential of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the meaning of the ‘stage of reduction and concentration of settlements’ and its place in the evolving structure of a Neolithic settlement system. It considers whether this stage of the development of the settlement system was a specific event, limited only to the evolution of a Funnel Beaker Culture settlement in south-eastern Poland, or whether it was a structural element in other areas too. Analysis of the collected cases, representing various geographical zones, cultural traditions and time horizons, allows us to formulate a thesis that describes the transformation of large settlements (from central places to the stage of reduction and concentration) were caused by internal social conflicts, rather than by climate or economic changes.

International migrants are often a major force reshaping settlement geography. However, their role in urbanisation processes has predominantly been explored in more established immigration countries, whereas such knowledge remains limited in Central and Eastern Europe. This paper investigates trends in participation of different groups of foreign residents in urbanisation processes in Czechia, which has recently become a new immigration destination. Using a longitudinal dataset of the Czech migration registers (2005–2017), it assesses the extent of participation in urbanisation processes. It also evaluates the strength of sociodemographic and place‐based factors contributing to suburbanisation, a process which makes the Czech suburbs the settlement type with highest net migration and to which both the Czech majority and the immigrant population contribute. The paper finds similarities between the internal migration of different immigrant groups and that of the Czech majority, indicating the predominance of suburbanisation of affluence, notably in culturally and economically well‐off groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes a dataset of archaeological sites and villages now partially covered by the water of the Mosul Dam Reservoir. For the first time the dataset offers digitized information on c.150 archaeological sites detected during a survey carried out by the Iraqi State Organization for Antiquities and Heritage in the 1980s. Knowledge of the map of these sites will have a substantial impact on interpretation of Tigridian settlement dynamics. Funding statement: This research has received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

The article deals with analysis of population resettlement systems of the Kharkiv region in order to allocate the regional growth poles. The analysis of scientific researches in the field of "center-periphery" theories, the theory of "central places" and the study of the supporting framework of resettlement have been carried out. The works by J. Thünen, W. Christaller, A. Lösch, F. Per-roux, W. Isard, G. Lappo and other authors have been analyzed. Some aspects of the urban study woldwide are presented. The spatial formational aspects of the modern urban settlement system of Kharkiv region are revealed. There are two stages of formation of the regional growth poles. stage I – 16-17 centuries, formation of the supporting framework of population settlement in connection with settlement development of the regional territory; stage II – 19-20 centuries, active economic, industrial development of Kharkiv re-gion. In accordance with the theory of integral systems of resettlement, the diversified organizational cores of the settlement system by population of the Kharkiv region have been determined. The organizational core of the rank 1 is Kharkiv (the central city in the region), 2 rank`s cities are Lozova and Izium (major cities of oblast significance), 3 rank`s cities are Kupiansk, Balakliia, Liubotyn, Pervomaiskyi, (cities with the predominance of industrial and transport functions), 4 rank`s cities are Bohodukhiv, Vovchansk, Zmiiv, Barvinkovo, Nova Vodolaga, Vysokyi, Dergachi (regional agro-industrial centers), 5 rank`s cities are Panyutyne, Kozacha Lopan, Borova (cities and villages that have an important transport position), 6 rank`s cities are Blyzniuky, Vilcha, Chervonyi Oskil, Kolomak, Zachepilovka (villages with high development of agriculture). Problems and perspectives of evolution of the Kharkiv re-gion resettlement system are revealed.

An analysis of the arrangement system of ancient fortifications dating back to the Early Iron Age allowed to distinguish a special coastal group of sites located on the right bank of the Sura river within the boundaries of the Chuvash Republic. Determination of the topographical features of settlement arrangement, connection between fortified and unfortified settlements, and residential areas are the primary objectives of the spatial analysis. The authors established that the central sites of the micro-regions are settlements surrounded with several satellites located within two kilometers from the settlements. They can be individual or group sites consisting of two sites located in close proximity to each other. The cartographic method allowed to distinguish a group of coastal monuments clearly associated with the riverbank of the Sura. The settlements differ from other sites by their size and diverse system of fortifications. The association between settlements and fortifications is traced by the authors on the example of a group of sites in the vicinity of Ilyina Gora, Vyselok No. 1 and No. 2 in the Yadrinsky district. The gravitational model reveals a weak association factor due to the small size of the sites and their remoteness from each other.

The article considers the emergence in the modern town-planning practice of Azerbaijan complex planning systems require comprehends to historical experience, especially the end of the nineteenth beginning of the twentieth centuries. The industrial revolution started in the middle of the 19th century in connection with the development of the oil industry accelerated the process of urbanization in Absheron also in Baku the centre of population concentration and various types of labour activity. The purpose of the study is to present Baku oil district at the turn of the 19th- 20th centuries to reveal communications and interactions between social, demographic and other processes as a complex organism with all contradictions inherent in the epoch of rapid development of capitalism which has received the material expression in the form of the newly developed planning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]