Home  Journals  Regional Economics: Theory and Practice  8(551) - 2026 August

Assessing the impact of the development of the regional individual housing construction market on the balance of the settlement system

Received: 4 March 2026

Accepted: 11 April 2026

Available online: 27 August 2026

Subject Heading: SPATIAL ECONOMICS

JEL Classification: R12, R23, R31

Pages: 22-41

https://doi.org/10.24891/qgggvu

Subject. Population concentration in large urban areas, formation of depopulation zones.
Objectives. Analysis of the settlement system features within the borders of the Kazan agglomeration.
Methods. Correlation analysis.
Results. A strong correlation has been found between the pace of housing development and how close the settlement system is to optimal parameters. In areas located 40–50 km from the core of the agglomeration, low-rise construction is effective in terms of balancing settlement. It's necessary to synchronize individual housing construction with infrastructure development.
Conclusions. The results obtained can be used by federal and regional authorities when developing spatial development strategies and adjusting preferential lending mechanisms.

Keywords: individual housing construction, resettlement system, Zipf's law, regional economic policy, spatial development

References:

1. Rastvortseva S.N., Manaeva I.V. [Zipf’s law for Russian cities: analysis of new indicators]. Ekonomika regiona, 2020, vol. 16, iss. 3, pp. 935–947. (In Russ.) EDN: EBRAXH
2. Krugman P. Confronting the Mystery of Urban Hierarchy. Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, 1996, vol. 10, iss. 4, pp. 399–418. DOI:10.1006/jjie.1996.0023
3. Gabaix X. «Zipf’s Law for Cities: An Explanation. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1999, vol. 114, iss. 3, pp. 739–767. EDN: DCIZVF
4. Ioannides Y.M., Overman H.G. Zipf’s Law for Cities: An Empirical Examination. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 2003, vol. 33, iss.2, pp. 127–137. DOI: 10.1016/S0166-0462(02)00006-6
5. Berry B.J., Okulicz‐Kozaryn A. The City Size Distribution Debate: Resolution for US Urban Regions and Megalopolitan Areas. Cities, 2012, vol. 29, iss. 1, pp. 17–23. EDN: PGNXLB
6. Ziqin W. Zipf Law Analysis of Urban Scale in China. Asian Journal of Social Science Studies, 2016, vol. 1, iss. 1, pp. 53–58. DOI: 10.20849/ajsss.v1i1.21
7. Black D., Henderson V. Urban Evolution in the USA. Journal of Economic Geography, 2003, vol. 3, iss. 4, pp. 343–372. EDN: ISSJTR
8. Eeckhout J. Gibrat’s Law for (All) Cities: Reply. American Economic Review, 2009, vol. 99, iss. 4, pp. 1676–1683. DOI: 10.1257/aer.99.4.1676
9. Levy M. Gibrat’s Law for (All) Cities: Comment. American Economic Review, 2009, vol. 99, iss. 4, pp. 1672–1675. DOI: 10.1257/aer.99.4.1672
10. Bee M., Riccaboni M., Schiavo S. The Size Distribution of US Cities: Not Pareto, Even in the Tail. Economics Letters, 2013, vol. 120, iss. 2, pp. 232–237. DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2013.04.035
11. Schaffar A., Dimou M. Rank-size City Dynamics in China and India, 1981–2004. Regional Studies, 2012, vol. 46, iss. 6, pp. 707–721. DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2010.521146
12. Andreev V.V., Lukiyanova V.Yu., Kadyshev E.N. [Analysis of people territorial distribution in regions of the Volga Federal District on the base of Zipf and Gibrat laws]. Prikladnaya ekonometrika, 2017, no. 4, pp. 97–121. (In Russ.) EDN: ZVRMXB
13. Manaeva I.V. [Distribution of cities in federal districts of Russia: testing of the Zipf law]. Ekonomika regiona, 2019, vol. 15, iss. 1, pp. 84–98. (In Russ.) EDN: ZALWUX
14. Pavlov Yu.V. [Regional settlement system balance: assessment under Zipf’s law and impact on the regional development]. Voprosy territorial'nogo razvitiya, 2020, vol. 8, iss. 2. (In Russ.) EDN: MRDUYZ

View all articles of issue

ISSN 2311-8733 (Online)
ISSN 2073-1477 (Print)

Journal current issue

ISSUE 8 AUGUST 2026

Archive