Taxonomic foundations of strategic planning for spatial development of a municipality

Aim. To substantiate the taxonomic approach as a methodological foundation for strategic planning of spatial development of a municipality and to propose an original taxonomic model that links the hierarchy of territorial units with the system of strategic and territorial planning documents. Objectives. To define the concept of taxonomy as applied to economics and spatial planning; to characterize the hierarchy of taxonomic units from the state level to the local territory; to analyze typologies and classifications of municipalities; to examine the relationship between strategic and territorial planning, as well as the problems of consistency of documents along the vertical and horizontal axes of governance; to consider methods of taxonomic analysis (clustering, Z. Hellwig’s taxonomic indicator method, multidimensional scaling); to synthesize the regulatory legal framework of Russia and international experience (in the European Union and China); to propose an original taxonomic model for strategic planning of spatial development of a municipality. Methods. Systemic, taxonomic, comparative-legal, and typological approaches, as well as methods of document analysis and generalization of scholarly sources, are used. Results. It is shown that taxonomy acts not merely as an auxiliary technical tool but as an independent methodological foundation of strategic planning that determines the composition of goal-setting levels, the nomenclature of documents, and the criteria for their coordination. Taxonomic procedures help identify stable groups of municipalities by their spatial, socio-economic, and functional characteristics, which increases the validity of strategic priorities and target indicators for each group. A five-level taxonomic model is proposed (country — macro-region — region — municipality — settlement / local zone), which assigns to each level the corresponding strategic and territorial planning documents, as well as criteria for differentiating municipalities. The model is accompanied by examples of Russian and international regulatory frameworks and typologies demonstrating its applicability to urbanized and predominantly rural territories, border, and geostrategic zones. Conclusions. The taxonomic approach makes it possible to structure a multi-level system of strategic planning, reduce the costs of document inconsistency, and adapt standard development models to heterogeneous municipalities, from large urban districts to rural and border territories. It substantiates the need to coordinate strategic and territorial documents not only vertically (between levels of government) but also horizontally (between municipalities of different types within a region). The use of the taxonomic model strengthens the evidence base of spatial decisions, facilitates the revision of municipal typologies as their characteristics change, and creates prerequisites for the development of digital platforms for end-to-end monitoring of spatial development at all levels. Overall, taxonomy becomes a key tool for balancing national and regional priorities with local specifics, which is particularly significant for the long-term sustainability of spatial development policy.