Cities as objects of federal regional policy: the experience of Europe and Russia

One of the trends of regional policy in the European countries is the increasing role of cities as objects of that policy. As the analysis of literature shows, this is due to the increasing problems of the cities, and the growth of their importance for the economic development of countries (due to the presence of the creative class, the best conditions for clustering etc.). The increasing role of cities in regional policy is also a reflection of the ongoing decentralization of decision-making. The analysis of the regulatory framework and statistical data shows that in Russia there are similar processes, in particular, the development of large urban agglomerations. Significant federal support for socioeconomic development of Moscow already exists. However, these processes in Russia are associated with a number of problems: lack of concrete steps in the implementation of policies of urban development, the deepening of the territorial disparities as a result of decentralization, and non-transparency of federal policy toward Moscow.