Functional Potential of the Novosibirsk Urban Region in Russian Federation

Abstract

The research presented in this article focuses on the urban region of Novosibirsk, which is one of the most industrialized part of Siberia and the Asian part of Russian Federation. The research was based on two methods of determining the functions of cities in the national settlement system: a research programme concerning the genesis of functional development and a research programme of specialized functions, the purpose of which is to determine the economic base of territorial units. To show relationships between the core of the region and its peripheral area there was provided a case study analyzing the territorial units forming the southern settlement belt along the Novosibirsk-Cherepanovo regional railway line over a distance of approx. 100 km. The presented results have shown the general tendencies in the transformations of the Novosibirsk urban region both in long-term perspective and in contemporary circumstances.