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Introduction: the article examines the materials of Gornozavodsk local economic micro-district to identify the processes that shape the classical poly-centered conurbation on this territory. Objectives: analysis of Gornozavodsk conurbation specific features, historical development of this old industrial territory in the Western Urals, as well as the overall social, economic, and infrastructural challenges of future opportunities for the mining and metallurgical area of Prikamye. Methods: comparative and comprehensive analysis of the prerequisites and agglomeration evolution in the old industrial territory of the mining and metallurgical Prikamye, statistic data analysis, analysis of the regulatory documents on the territory spatial development, identification of the strategic potential for Gornozavodsk conurbation. Results: spatial aspect and prerequisites to shape and develop the agglomeration processes in the neighboring municipalities in the mining and metallurgical Prikamye have been identified; strategic priorities for dealing with the traditional challenges in the social and economic development in the old industrial territories have been formulated in terms of their neighboring and associated performance. Conclusions: the current conditions of the uneven spatial development and polarization of the social and economic processes update the need to identify priority “growth points”, to enhance agglomeration aspects of the territorial interaction, to consolidate the efforts by the federal, regional, and municipal authorities and systemic companies in strategic development of the industrial territories in the Western Urals.

Introduction. A further development of local self-government is impossible with no integration and consolidation of the efforts from the stakeholders to face the social and economic challenges. This becomes the main reason for a growing academic interest towards the exploration of agglomeration processes as a form of spatial organization. Along with that, agglomeration processes are typically considered to be connected with the development of a metropolis and neighboring territories (municipal units). However, currently both the metropolises and towns are likely to be characterized by the agglomeration processes and by the trends for their development. Aims. The paper is to analyze the agglomeration features of municipal units as a spatial factor for territory development at both settlement and regional levels. Methods. The authors focus on a comprehensive approach, where agglomeration is considered to be a multi-faceted process with a set of interconnected elements. This approach reveals the integrity and a particular development vector for this process. What is more, the paper applies descriptive, structural and functional, formal-legal and analytical methods, as well as a comparative analysis. Results. The materials of Suksun and Kishert municipal regions in the Perm Region were employed in an attempt to check a hypothesis about the presence of agglomeration features in nonmetropolitan areas. The authors found that the agglomeration processes occurred between bordering territories with similar economic and social cultural conditions, natural resources and socio-economic potential as the basis for economic growth; similar infrastructure which can be mutually beneficial, including further traffic infrastructure development in the bordering areas. A socio-economic area of several Prikamye municipal units, such as Lysva city territory, Chusovskoi municipal district, Kizel, Aleksandrovsk municipal districts and Gubakha city territory, Ocher, Vereshchagino, Nytva municipal districts, was looked at as a potentially favorable environment for agglomeration formation and development. The authors found that the territories of the mentioned municipalities are not completely involved into agglomeration processes. In their turn, the existing interactions can be considered to have only some agglomeration features, but they are limited and local in their nature and do not show any synergetic effect seen in the agglomeration processes. Conclusion. Practices in city agglomeration analyses made it possible to apply the agglomeration features to reveal the territories with the prerequisites for agglomeration processes. This is the reason to think that both urban and countryside areas in Prikamye have enough possibilities to promote the agglomeration processes to improve the socio-economic development of the municipal units through consolidating efforts in preparing and implementing integration processes.