Regularities in the distribution and growth of cities in the Ural federal district of Russia

At the present stage of development of economics the phenomenon of distribution of productive forces in the territorial space of Russia is a subject of active research, which is due to the increasing differentiation of socio-economic status of cities. The article aims to determine patterns of distribution and growth of cities in the Ural Federal District of Russia. The work will either corroborate or refute the following hypotheses: 1) average population of a city in the region (except for the capital of the region) correlates with the distance to the nearest million-plus city; 2) popu-lation density in the region has an inverse correlation with the distance to the nearest million-plus city. Comparative analysis and the method of grouping serve as a methodological basis for the research. The stated hypotheses are tested using the least square method; stability of the urban system is assessed with the help of Zipf's law, and Gibrat's law is used to identify features of urban growth. The object of study is the cities of the Ural Federal District in the period of 2003, 2014, and 2015. In the Ural Federal District there is a wide differentiation between the capitals of constituent entities of the District and the rest of cities in terms of population. The urban system of the Ural Federal District for 2004-2014 is stable. Population density, as the distance from cities increases by 1%, reduces by 0.9%. On the territory of the Ural Federal District in 2003-2014 the growth rate of large cities was higher than that of small ones. Theoretical significance of the research consists in the fact that it adds to methodological grounds of assessing urban growth using Gibrat's law in terms of population. The results obtained can be used in the work of regional and municipal authorities, and will help substantiate socio-economic development programs and strategies for cities of the Ural Federal District.