Spatial configuration of Rostov agglomeration in southwestern Russia - territorial, demographical and functional dynamics.

Cities around the world are central locations for economic activity, industrial production, research and innovation. Urban environment is a favourable locus for entrepreneurship and living, accumulating a significant share of regional and national administrative, financial and human resources, concentrating advanced public infrastructure and social sector services. In the process of regional development, the integration and coherence between cities strengthen, the functions are redefined, and the specialisation deepens, while the role of the central city(-ies) is reinforced. Consideration of inter-city intraagglomeration socioeconomic integrity and functional interconnectivity is vital for efficient governance. However, the blurred boundaries of urban agglomerations impede elaboration of place-specific development policies on urban and regional growth. Our study is aimed at delimitation of urban agglomeration structure around the Rostov-on-Don - one of the ten largest cities of Russia and the administrative centre of the Southern federal district. Results suggest that Rostov agglomeration continues to evolve with a different level of integrity between city clusters of the three agglomeration arcs. We find that industrial clustering and transportation network determine the developmental trajectory of the urban agglomeration, shaping its spatial configuration and causing pathdependency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]