Критерии определения малых городов в странах БРИКС

Городские исследования и практики. 2026. Т. 11. № 1. С. 10–29.

Molodtsova V., Мокренский Д. Н., Artsybasheva K., Ашуркова М. О.

In the global trend towards urbanization, small towns play an essential role in ensuring balanced spatial development, serving as a link between rural and highly urbanized areas. The BRICS countries, comprising almost half of the world’s population and a significant portion of global GDP, have demonstrated a variety of approaches to working with small towns. This article defines criteria for classifying small towns in BRICS countries. The research methodology is based on the analysis of official documents, such as development plans and strategies, statistical reports, and scientific publications. The f indings indicate that the primary criterion for categorizing a town as “small” is its population size. However, the threshold value of this criterion varies significantly among BRICS countries, ranging from 10,000 people in Egypt to 500,000 in China. Meanwhile in Indonesia and other countries the definition of small towns has shifted from population size to the socio-economic significance of the settlement. In most BRICS countries, small towns are recognized as a distinct category and receive targeted policies for socio economic development. A comparative analysis of these policies has identified several countries (Brazil, India, China, and South Africa) whose experience with small towns could be relevant for Russia. Further analysis of small-town policies in these countries could form the basis for new tools to support and develop small towns in Russia, taking into account national differences. An analysis of the dynamics of the number of small towns, their spatial distribution, and population has revealed that despite their quantitative predominance in BRICS’ city structure, the proportion of small town residents is decreasing due to migration to larger agglomerations. For Russia, where small towns play a significant role in organizing rural and suburban areas, foreign experience from other BRICS countries could be useful for developing urban policies to support these towns.

Keywords: BRICS, урбанизация, urbanization, БРИКС, малые города, small towns, критерии классификации городов, criteria for the city classification