Spatial Development of Small Cities in Central Russia

Small cities are a popular subject of geographical research. Modern studies most often examine the sociodemographic and economic issues of the functioning of such settlements. This article examines the spatial changes that have occurred in small cities in Russia in the post-Soviet period. Using satellite imagery of 190 small cities in noncapital regions of Central Russia, an analysis of changes in the area of built-up territories from 1989 to 2023 was conducted. During the period under review, 85 of the 190 small cities increased their area by more than 10%. Most often, this growth is associated with areas of new individual housing, summer cottages and industrial facilities. The most rapidly growing small cities are those in the southern regions of Central Russia, as well as cities near large urban agglomerations. Comparison of population dynamics and indicators of development growth made it possible to divide the small cities into five groups. The first group are cities where population growth was coupled with space growth—classic sprawl. The second group are cities where the population has decreased slightly, but the area has grown significantly; the third are cities that have lost more than a third of their population, but have significantly increased their area. Two groups of cities with spatial stagnation, population decline and super decline. One of the main negative effects of sprawl is a decrease in population density, which leads to increased costs for urban utilities. Analysis of population density dynamics made it possible to identify the cities with the most problematic population density dynamics. Based on the location of new development areas, models of spatial growth of small cities were identified: perimeter, radial-ray, and exclave. The process of merging small cities and neighboring rural settlements, which leads to the formation of new rural-urban landscapes, is considered. The study resulted in the formation of key concepts regarding the spatial transformations of small cities in Central Russia in the post-Soviet period.