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Urban Demographics and Spatial Geography in the USSR: A Study of Population, Industrialization, and City Growth

This study explores the urban geography and demographics of the USSR, including the impact of population loss during wars and Soviet policies on industrialization and urbanization. It also examines the challenges and opportunities faced by different regions in post-Soviet Russia, including the effects of privatization and economic reforms on urban areas.

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Urban Demographics and Spatial Geography in the USSR: A Study of Population, Industrialization, and City Growth

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  1. Urban Geography andSpatial DemographicsZoltan Grossman, Blood & Borders, The Evergreen State College

  2. USSR Population(Lost 15 mil to civil war/Stalin and 14 mil to WWII;Male shortage one reason for women in both workforce & home) Despite Annexations! Population would have been 440 million in 1991 without wars

  3. “State Socialism” • Central planning of “Command Economy” • Guaranteed job, low rents, health care, daycare, etc. • Heavy industrialization to catch up to West • Forced collectivization of private farmlands

  4. Soviet Bloc urban population • Soviets favored large industry over farms & cities • Moscow 30% industrial; Paris only 5% • Urbanization but without urban services/transit/life • Prefab worker apartment blocs / housing shortages

  5. Russian urban populationOverwhelmingly in largest cities

  6. Close command industries • Reduce or end subsidies • Pass burden to renters • Privatize industrial economy; • benefit new entrepeneurs • High unemployment, • inflation, inequality “Shock therapy”

  7. Winning regions • Hub regions • - Government/transportation centers. High-tech industries • - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Nizhny Novgorod, Urals • Gateway regions • - Outward looking/ trade-oriented • - Vladivostok, Murmansk, Kaliningrad

  8. Losing regionsHuge gaps in prices, income, roads • Command military-industrial / coal regions • State agricultural regions • Remote natural resource (non-oil) • Ethnic minority regions in conflict

  9. Favorable regions of Russia

  10. Unfavorable regions of Russia

  11. Russia’s demographics, 1990-2006 Male Female Effects of war, poor male health

  12. Russian birth rate

  13. Russian death rate

  14. U.S. Baby BoomUSSR instead had “echo busts” slowing growth in 1960s, 1980s EchoBoom Baby Boom (1946-1964) Baby Bust (1965-1980)

  15. Russian life expectancyMen dying from alcohol, drugs, accidents, crime;Male life expectancy now like parts of Third World

  16. Russia’s population decline Population decline for first time since WWII; Worries about aging population, labor shortages; Larger families in Muslim regions but not as many industrial workers

  17. Feudal City Narrow, Twisty Medieval Streets Vienna, Austria

  18. URBAN GEOGRAPHY:Trade City • Merchant capitalism emerges 1400s-1500s; Gradually replaces feudalism • Mediterranean Sea ports • Baltic/North Sea ports (Hanseatic League)

  19. IndustrialcapitalistCity(1800 on) Industrial Revolution: Steam engine Steel Loom

  20. Other European city characteristics Plazas High density Low skyline Lively downtown Neighborhood stability Symbolism/memorials Good municipal services

  21. Central Place Theory Explaining the relative size /function of urban centers as a function of economic behavior Range: Maximum distance buyer will travel Threshold: Minimum market size

  22. Stagesofintraurban growthin U.S. • Counterurbanization of wealthy • More than half live in suburbs today

  23. Western European City • Industrial workers, • immigrants in suburbs

  24. Central European City Budapest, Hungary

  25. Urban Inequalities under State Socialism (Iván Szelényi, Oxford U. Press, 1983)

  26. Unemployment, 1980-2010

  27. Unemployment, 2002-2010

  28. Depressed regions, 2004

  29. Roma population, 2001

  30. Jobbik vote, 2009

  31. Jobbik / Hungarian Guard

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