Rostov-on-Don as the core of Rostov agglomeration: prospects and development problems

Rostov-on-Don is the largest city in southern Russia and the core of one of the most developed agglomerations in this direction. Currently, it has 1,137,904 inhabitants, which is half the population of the entire Rostov agglomeration. As the core of the Rostov agglomeration, the city with one million inhabitants acts as a “locomotive” of development for the surrounding settlements and territories and a point of attraction for human capital; this only strengthens the monocentric development of the agglomeration. In the modern realities of our country’s development, Rostov has a new function. It is expected to become the center of integration between Russian regions and the newly joined regions of Lugansk and Donetsk. This may become both a new milestone in the development of the city and a new challenge. The article identified the main problems limiting its development at the moment and the most favorable scenario for its development. One of the most pressing problems is the excessive congestion of the street and road networks. This issue cannot be solved only by expanding the existing roadway. The problem is particularly acute in the central districts of the city. The article also analyzes the current social and economic level of development in Rostov-on-Don: the demographic situation, social, financial, and economic factors, infrastructure, innovation, and investment potential. Due to the fact that the growing competition for primacy in the South in recent decades is only increasing, the author compared Rostov with other capitals of southern agglomerations: Krasnodar and Volgograd. The comparison showed that Rostov has reasons to hold the status of “Capital of the South,” but there is a possibility that the city may lose it if effective measures for further development are not taken.