Dilemmas of Regional Development in Ukraine

The typical problems of regional development are polarization and conflict.Their solution must be provided through specific programs and strategies, and requires the introduction of concepts and knowledge in accordance to the content of the challenges and the stage of social development.Post-Soviet countries, including Ukraine, are still undergoing transformations caused by changes in managerial patterns, consciousness, and a revision of the methodological bases for the implementation of state regional policy.The paper concentrates on the analysis of key features of Soviet territorial planning and scientific research of that time, which have partly led to gaps in relevant policy in modern Ukraine, which, unfortunately, is still poorly harmonized with EU policy.Another aspect of the publication is the identification of regional development disparities.In particular, it includes the effects of geopolitical influences, the excessive concentration of financial, industrial, and human resources in specific centers, the processes of peripheralisation, depopulation, as well as the problems of accessibility and low level of network development.The novelty of the study has been primarily defined due to the comprehensive view on the problems of regional development in Ukraine, both in terms of methodological support and prerequisites for regional policy forming, and in terms of its compliance with current European planning concepts and practices.There are first of all concepts of territorial capital (place-based approach), polycentric and balanced territorial development and territorial cohesion of the functional territories, as well as approaches to forecast and modeling of spatial development.The authors also present the general framework for the conceptualization of spatial development policies in Ukraine, necessary for the successful governance of the country and regions in the context of globalization.