TYPOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE SEVERODONETSK-LYSYCHANSK AGGLOMERATION

Abstract

Urban agglomerations become more and more important centres of urban life. Six urban agglomerations have developed in Luhansk region during the second half of the XX century. Nowadays, only Severodonetsk-Lysychansk agglomeration is located on territory controlled by Ukrainian authorities. Considering recent events in eastern Ukraine, this agglomeration has changed due to the functioning as the most important administrative, social, economic and political centre of the region. Since its origins, agglomeration had different names – Lysychansk-Rubizhne, Lysychansk-Severodonetsk, Severodonetsk-Lysychansk. The last name is the most appropriate, because now Severodonetsk is the largest city of the agglomeration by population and the main industrial core. Given the 1-hour and 30-kilometer availability of settlements from the main cities of agglomeration, Severodonetsk-Lysychansk agglomeration consists of 47 settlements, including 8 cities, 10 townships and 29 villages. Urban agglomerations significantly differ from each other by population, land area, spatial structure, economic functions and other criteria. Our study revealed that Severodonetsk-Lysychansk agglomeration is polycentric (by the number of urban cores), polycentric with elements of scattered (by the spatial model), small (by area), medium-size (by population), multifunctional (by economic functions), poorly developed (second class of complexity by the development rate), non-dynamic (by dynamism). Agglomeration was developed both «from city» and «from district». Now this agglomeration is in the first phase development, representing a labour market agglomeration.