The Transformation of the Spatial Structure of an Economy in the Crisis and Post-Crisis Periods

This article is a review of global and Russian research on features and patterns of the development of regions of a country in crisis and post-crisis periods. It is shown that the theoretical foundation of studies on this issue is the concept of regional resilience, as developed in global research since the 2010s. The features of the resilience concept are analyzed and compared with regional growth theories and economic security studies. Factors that influence the resilience of regions of a country to economic crises are summarized: they include features of a region’s settlement system (the ratio of the urban to rural populations) and its position in the national settlement system (location in relation to large urban agglomerations), the structure of the region’s economy (level of diversification, specific features of specialization and employment structure), innovation potential and quality of human capital, cohesion of the local community, and quality of public administration. It is noted that differences in regional resilience levels are consistent; in particular, the features of regional spatial development observed during the current crisis (associated with the COVID-19 pandemic) follow previously established patterns. Negative consequences of crises, specifically, regional divergence and reduced inclusiveness of economic growth, are also described. Issues of transforming the state spatial development policy during crisis periods, as well as opportunities for managing regional resilience, are discussed.