Evaluation of the state strategy of spatial development effectiveness of the Russian Federation : a cluster approach

One of the basic problems of countries' balanced economic growth is the spatial heterogeneity of the regional development. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the state strategy of spatial development of the Russian Federation based on the formation of macroeconomic regions. This paper proposes a methodological approach to the identification of macroregions as an important tool to reduce spatial heterogeneity by realizing the potential of interregional interaction. The proposed methodology for identification of macroregions was based on the tools of spatial economics: the gravity model and cluster analysis. During the study, 14 macroregions were identified. An analysis of regional development heterogeneity was carried out using the Theil index. In the course of the calculations, it was revealed that the value of the intragroup differentiation index of the territories of macroregions determined by the state strategy of spatial development is significantly higher than the same index for the territories of macroregions obtained on the basis of the author’s methodology. This suggests an ineffective consolidation of the territorial structure of macroregions by the state spatial development strategy.