The article examines a strategy for territorial development through the creation of key settlements. The authors demonstrate that their creation will facilitate the redistribution of socioeconomic activity at the regional level and serve as a means of overcoming spatial imbalances. The purpose of this study is to identify how experts and residents of local communities assess the prospects for the formation of key settlements in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The theoretical section of the article examines methodological approaches to the formation of a spatial structure: continuous territorial development; a sustainable settlement system based on regional zones of advanced economic growth; an expeditionary settlement system; and key settlement with the formation of key settlements. An analysis of the literature on this topic reveals that researchers generally believe that the successful development of these settlements is possible only with an integrated approach that takes into account the specific characteristics of Russia's regions. Thus, when considering the creation of key population centres in the Far East, it is necessary to consider the development of a sustainable settlement system based on regional zones of advanced economic growth, with a comfortable living environment. The authors of the article use economic and sociological analysis to determine the specific characteristics of such centres. Using the example of two communities in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (the town of Aldan and the village of Berdigestyakh), they demonstrate that the economic performance of key population centres depends on their geographic location, natural resource potential, and socioeconomic conditions.

The authors used expert interviews and questionnaires to identify the attitudes of experts and ordinary residents of the region toward the formation of core communities in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). In processing and interpreting the study results, the following methods were employed: identifying semantic cores in expert interview texts, calculating expert ratings, and clustering and visualising these semantic cores. The experts provided reasoned assessments of the development of the construction industry, small and medium-sized businesses, transport infrastructure, and social services in their communities. Based on their analysis, the authors conclude that it is necessary to find a balance between indicators that ensure sustainable development of the region, that will contribute to reducing interregional inequalities. To this end, sociological support should become an integral part of the preparation of various projects for the formation of core communities in Russian regions.

reference settlements, analysis of economic structure, expert interviewing, semantic core, expert rating, clustering of semantic cores, small city, rural area of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

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