ECONOMIC-GEOGRAPHICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CITIES AND URBAN AGGLOMERATIONS IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This article examines the economic-geographical significance of cities and urban agglomerations in regional development, with particular attention to the spatial concentration of population and economic activity, the expansion of labor and service markets, and the influence of cities on surrounding territories. The theoretical foundations of agglomeration economies and urban development are analyzed based on international scientific literature. The study employs economic-geographical comparison, statistical analysis, spatial concentration analysis, and accessibility assessment approaches. Using Uzbekistan as an empirical case, the study compares Tashkent City and Tashkent Region, Samarkand Region, and the Fergana Valley. The results demonstrate that large cities serve as important centers of population concentration, economic activity, industry, and services, while the diffusion of agglomeration effects to surrounding territories depends on transport, economic, and functional linkages. The study identifies priority directions for strengthening territorial integration, infrastructure development, and economic linkages within urban agglomerations in Uzbekistan.