Social and demographic principles in an alternative typology of cities.

"The authors challenge some conventional notions regarding the USSR's urban hierarchy and settlement network and the basis for functional city classifications. They assign a key role to technological and social change in the overall growth and development process and downplay the role of territorial production complexes vis-a-vis large cities as major regulators of future economic development. Considerable attention is devoted to identifying stages of urban interaction (especially via migration and innovation diffusion) with the rural hinterland and of social-demographic transformations accompanying scientific and technical progress. A city typology based on stages in the 'social-demographic transition' is outlined briefly."