Open Diffuse Regional Agglomerations: Strategic Potential and Strategizing

aches to agglomeration development often fail to meet the principles and rules of strategizing. The article describes the open diffuse agglomeration as a new approach that complies with the general theory of strategy and methodology of strategizing: it is innovative, asymmetric, and competitive in terms of time factor. The research relied on the system-structural approach and the theories of dirigisme and spatial diffusion of innovations. The author appealed to the general theory of strategy and the methodology of strategizing developed by Professor V. L. Kvint. An open agglomeration means that it covers all or most settlements in the region. As a result, the entire region is integrated into one or several agglomerations. This approach engages all municipalities into the agglomeration process, thus preventing spatial inequality. In addition, it structures the processes of strategic and tactical management, settling, migration, housing construction, and infrastructural development. A diffuse agglomeration means that it uses the mechanisms of active internal interaction to spread positive growth impulses from the center to the periphery, i.e., diffusion of innovations, demand, business activity, etc. The strategizing of an open diffuse agglomeration requires a preliminary assessment stage. The analysis of values and interests provides a relevant set of forecasts to scan the windows of opportunity of the external environment.