Problems in the Formation of the Population of Cities in the RSFSR

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Abstract
Urban population projections incorporated in a selected set of 20 regional plans for oblasts, forecasting economic development up to 1980, are compared with desirable trends under current Soviet population policy. Projected migration trends are found not to be always in agreement with optimal interregional movements. The regional plan for Krasnodar Kray in the Northern Caucasus, for example, envisages continued net in-migration even though efforts are being made to curb the heavy influx into this labor-surplus area. Regional plans of oblasts with high urbanization levels call for further urban growth, as in Kemerovo Oblast (Kuznetsk Basin) while some oblasts with low urbanization levels are planned to remain at low levels. This is found to be contrary to the long-range goal of curbing excessive urbanization, on the one hand, and urbanizing rural regions, on the other hand. However, the regional plans reflect the current policy of giving priority to the expansion of small and medium-size towns, thus increasing the share of urban population in the 100,000 to 500,000 size class.

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