Typology of the Spatial Structures of Centres of the Settlement System in the Corridor St.Petersburg - Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod

The problem of the research is caused by the lack of understanding of the holistic spatial structures of settlement system. The first hypothesis is that all aglomeration posess similar spatial structures, that are based on logical distribution of the local centers’ types on the agglomeration territoty. The key research question is whether the centres of the settlement system (and the agglomerations shaped by it in the corridor St.Petersburg - Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod) have the same spacial structure pattern. The paper proposes the typology of the centers of the settlement system. Methodologically it is based on functional and rank diversity of the centers’ services, calculated through the Herfendal-Hirschman diversity index. The typology has 6 types of the centers of settlement system. The use of transport assecibility data allows us to reveal the holistic spatial structures, based on the typology. The paper discribes the corridor and reveal the same spatical structures across all the considered agglomerations. The analysis describes the alternation patterns of different rank and functional saturation, «belt» structure of the location of the types of centers of the settlement system. The same structures confirms the hypothesis that the spatial structure of the centers of the settlement system is invariant. This analysis can determine a new direction in the study of the possibilities of identifying holistic spatial structures.