Megaregions as a new form of the territorial organization of society
A new trend of close functional integration of neighboring agglomerations into vast megaregions arises in the global urbanization process. According to R. Florida, there are already 40 megaregions in the world which account for less than 20% of the world's population and, at the same time, for two thirds of the global gross product, about 90% of leading scientists and nearly 90% of patents. The progress of this form could change the territorial pattern of the modern society. It gradually becomes an entirety of large self-sufficient units concentrating a fair share of the spatial division of labor. This is caused mainly by the rapid growth of non-manufacturing sector (service industries) with direct consumption of products in the place of their production. The present-day economic geography (both in Russia and abroad) doesn't provide timely response to these changes.