The Strategy of Spatial Development of Russia: modernity and the legacy of the Soviet Settlement Doctrine

The article criticizes the strategy of spatial development of Russia, legally stated in the government document “The Strategy of Spatial Development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030. A Draft Concept”, released by the Ministry of Economic Development (2016). The author argues that the Strategy only states the existing situation, but does not enumerate a set of measures that are to be undertaken to strengthen the possibility of implementing any development scenario, and does not outline the ways of making assumptions a reality. The paper proves that the postulates of the Soviet settlement doctrine and urban planning theory still deeply impact the contemporary theory and practice of territorial planning.