Vol. 54 No. 3 (2026): Published on September 30, 2026.
DOI https://doi.org/10.18799/26584956/2026/3/2144
The Theoretical model of a territory balanced spatial development
The article proposes a compact model of a territory balanced spatial development and reveals the methodological principles of its construction and functioning. Relevance. Determined not so much by the absence of theoretical reflection on the category of “balanced spatial development” as by the gap between its conceptual interpretation and methodological implementation. Some researchers already associate balanced development with intersectoral coherence, interterritorial differentiation, and the stability of dynamics over time. However, existing assessment methods, as a rule, capture only certain aspects of this category and do not fully allow these dimensions to be integrated into a comprehensive tool for diagnosing regional development. Aim. To develop a theoretically coherent model of a territory balanced spatial development that will help overcome the conceptual fragmentation of existing approaches and create a basis for the subsequent operationalization of this category in a methodology for assessing regional development. Object. Spatial development of territorial systems. Subject. Theoretical foundations and principles for constructing a model of balanced spatial development of a territory, considered as a conceptual basis for the subsequent development of a methodology for its assessment. Methodological basis. It includes system analysis, comparative generalization of Russian and foreign concepts, logical reconstruction of the main directions in the conceptualization of balanced development, as well as an analysis of existing methodologies and their limitations. Results. Three analytical perspectives – systemic, spatial, and dynamic – are systematized and an integrative model is proposed that combines them into a single multidimensional framework. Scientific novelty. It consists in the development of a compact theoretical model of a territory balanced spatial development, in which the main approaches to understanding this category and the principles of model construction are correlated with each other and presented as interrelated elements of a single analytical framework. The proposed framework makes it possible to move from the conceptual description of balanced development to the subsequent development of methodological tools for its assessment. Conclusions. Balanced spatial development can be considered as one of the aspects of the sustainable development of a territorial system and as a methodological basis for forming a system of indicators and monitoring procedures. The proposed model can be used as a conceptual framework for developing tools to assess balanced development at different levels of territorial organization, ensuring a transition from the description of spatial disproportions to their systemic diagnosis and analytical interpretation.
For citation: Lemnev V. The theoretical model of a territory balanced spatial development. Journal of Wellbeing Technologies, 2026, vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 64–72. https://doi.org/10.18799/26584956/2026/3/2144
Keywords:
balanced development, economic space, sustainable development, socio-economic research, spatial differentiation
References:
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