Population spatial mobility: essence and characteristics

The aim of the paper is to improve theoretical foundations of the research of the population spatial mobility as an actual socio-economic concept and development of its three-dimensional model. Two basic concepts are used to understand spatial mobility – “mobility” and “space”. The population spatial mobility is suggested to consider its property, which reflects desire, willingness and opportunities to change a place of residence in specified space-time coordinates, which is accompanied by human potential capitalization during implementation processes. Immobility as the opposite property of mobility is identified. A three-dimensional model of the population spatial mobility is considered. The characteristics of the population spatial mobility are generalized. They include: subjectivity, level and scale display, typology, transformation, goal orientation, potentiality, functionality, the ability to adjust and measurability. All the characteristics are described. The author points out that the methodology to determine the level of the population spatial mobility needs developing. The different types of the population spatial mobility are described in order to assess its level. This is active-mobile and passive-mobile population. The structure of the population spatial mobility is formed depending on the dominance of a particular personality type. The scale of spatial mobility as an important characteristic reflects desire, willingness and opportunities of movement for a specified distance. Functionality as the characteristic of spatial mobility reveals its ability to perform such functions as movement provision, stagnation resistance, balancing and alignment, variability, alternativeness, freedom, protection, development, self-responsibility and individualization. Goal orientation shows that the mobile property of a person allows them to more quickly meet the needs through the achievement of demanded goals compared to other members of society who are immobile. The actuality of the research of the population spatial mobility in the context of human development is proved in the conclusions.