Dynamics of the socio-economic development of Northwestern Federal District regions in the context of road network expansion

Abstract

The study examines the impact of the development of the road network on the dynamics of socio-economic indicators of the regions of the Northwestern Federal District in the context of the implementation of Russia’s Spatial Development Strategy. Based on a correlation anal­ysis of data for the period 2007—2023, which includes 22 indicators of socio-economic dy­namics and 6 parameters of road infrastructure, key patterns of interaction between the transport network and regional development dynamics have been identified. The use of Spearman’s rank correlation method made it possible to determine the strength and direction of relationships, interpreted with regard to the physical-geographical and economic character­istics of the regions. The study confirms that transport infrastructure acts as a catalyst for spatial development; however, its effects vary depending on economic specialization and spa­tial constraints. The results may be applied to optimize regional transport policy and achieve the goals of the national strategy.