Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2021 number 2

This article presents a simulation of agglomeration effects which are the factors for the development of Irkutsk and the Irkutsk urban agglomeration formed by the city. Agglomeration effects are divided into components: localization effects (MAR effects) which were estimated by using the measures of concentration of economic activity, and urbanization effects (Jacobs effects) which are assessed by using the measures of diversity (diversification). Initially, the maximum boundaries of the Irkutsk urban agglomeration were determined by using the two-hour transport accessibility isochrone; next, the agglomeration effects were simulated to identify the optimal combinations of territorial units composing it so that the highest efficiency of their interaction is achieved. A promising configuration of this urban agglomeration is determined by using the ratio of economic diversity and transport accessibility. Furthermore, the economic diversity in this ratio is the measure of the effects obtained from territorial interaction, and transport accessibility is the measure of the cost to achieve them. In addition, using the ratio of transport accessibility (remoteness from Irkutsk) and the population size, the priorities for improving transport accessibility of territorial units comprising the Irkutsk urban agglomeration within its optimal configuration were determined in order to substantiate the key directions of transport infrastructure development. It has been established that the population size of the Irkutsk urban agglomeration reaches a million as well as a high level of concentration and diversity of economic activity, which creates prerequisites for a further intensification of economic ties.