The Evolution of Urbanization Processes in the Russian Far East

The article examines the urbanization processes occurring as a result of migration between cities of various rank. Theoretical background of the work includes the classical theory of accommodation, approaches of New Economic Geography, theory of step and differential urbanization, as well as principles of settlement in a planned economy.Authors show that formation and evolution of cities can be defined not only by the market and infrastructural factors, causing the concentration of population in one place, but also by the spatial characteristics of already established settlement system, which elements’ configuration relative to each other and economic objects can significantly reject the development direction of cities from expected trends and time intervals of the existing theories.As an example, this paper considers the settlement system of the Russian Far East with a more detailed analysis of the cities’ evolution of one of its regions - Khabarovsky Krai. Analysis employs the terms of differential urbanization theory which requires a certain sequence of domination stages of cities of various ranks as a result of changes in direction and the volume of migration. The article shows that despite the long history and repeated changes of political and economic courses of development of the macro-region as well as polycentric settlement system (including urban centers of different size, functions and socio-economic orientation) formed in the period of planned economy, urbanization processes in the Russian Far East, which is characterized by significant spatial differentiation and heterogeneity of population distribution, continue to unfold during the stage of large cities’ domination.