Russia to Build Digital Migration Atlas to Analyze Regional Development
The atlas is designed to help regional and municipal authorities plan measures to support territorial development.
People often change their place of residence in search of better opportunities or under pressure from circumstances. But how can policymakers assess the trends behind this continuous process and influence them? Which regions should focus on retaining residents, and which are better positioned to let people move on? A new digital tool aims to help answer these questions.
Electronic Atlas
Researchers at the North Caucasus Federal University are developing a digital atlas of population migration. The data underpinning the atlas has been drawn from open government sources, including the Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System, official statistics from Rosstat, and national census materials.
Using processed and structured data, the researchers plan to show how internal migration flows are changing across the country and which factors influence people’s choice of where to live. In practical terms, this should make it possible to assess the attractiveness of cities and regions and to design measures aimed at retaining population. The project is being carried out with support from the Russian Science Foundation.
A Planning Tool
Project lead Ivan Solovyov, a professor at North Caucasus Federal University, says the atlas will serve as an applied tool for regional and municipal authorities.
Research materials indicate that migration is increasingly taking the form of what the authors describe as a “move without leaving.” Residents of large cities are relocating to suburban areas where housing construction is expanding. In agglomerations such as the Caucasian Mineral Waters region, as well as the Krasnodar and Stavropol areas, population growth in satellite towns reaches 9–11 percent. At the same time, several regional capitals in the North Caucasus have recorded population outflows.
Donors and Recipients
The researchers proposed their own typology of cities, dividing them into migration donors and recipients. These categories were further classified into four scenarios of demographic change, ranging from sustained growth to decline. The analysis took into account factors such as economic conditions, housing markets, characteristics of the urban environment, and the social profile of residents.
Integration With Online Services
At the next stage, the project is expected to be linked with external online services such as CIAN, Avito, SPARK, Yandex Maps, and OpenStreetMap. This would allow official statistics to be supplemented with real-world data on real estate markets, business activity, and transport accessibility. The team at North Caucasus Federal University plans to complete the digital migration atlas later this year.
