Methodology for Assessing and Ranking of the Socio-Economic Development of Single-Industry Towns Based on Multifactor Analysis of Fractal Indicators

Abstract

Introduction. Assessment of urbanized areas in terms of their sustainable development and rational use of resource and environmental potential remains the most demanded in modern conditions, because in certain cases it opens up opportunities for preventive management of anthropogenically disturbed areas. The aim of the study is to rank single-industry towns by a number of indicators by means of multifactor analysis of socio-economic indicators of single-industry towns and using systemic and fractal approaches. Materials and Methods. The study was carried out on the basis of a multifactor analysis of socio-economic indicators of single-industry towns, using systemic and fractal approaches. Existing methods for assessing the socio-economic sustainable development of a region and developing integrated regional indicators are analyzed. The authors' methodology was used, which can be considered as the development of existing methods and the development of new methods for indicating and ranking socio-economic processes from the point of view of their sustainability. Results. A new methodology for socio-economic assessment and ranking of single-industry towns has been developed based on multifactor analysis of fractal indicators of their life support: social, economic, resource and environmental. Using the proposed methodology, single-industry towns of the Arkhangelsk Region were ranked according to an integrated fractal indicator of classes of socio-economic processes that indicate the quality of life support of the single-industry towns under consideration, potential risks and the sustainability of their development. Discussion and Conclusion. The developed methodology verifies and complements the existing criteria for transferring single-industry towns from one category to another. It allows, by introducing certain indicators, to assess the sustainability of the socio-economic development of single-industry towns and the possibility of diversifying their economies, and is also a useful practical tool for federal, regional and municipal institutions specializing in managing the development of territories.