Implementation of the concept of sustainable development of rural areas: experience of Russia and foreign countries

The work examines the evolution of theoretical and practical approaches to overcoming socio-economic and spatial differences between urban and rural areas from the late 19th century to the present day. The relevance of the research is determined by global urbanization, which, while providing access to the benefits of civilization, has led to ecological imbalance, depopulation of rural areas, and a disconnect between humans and the natural environment. The aim of the analysis is to identify effective models for integrating nature into urbanized spaces and ensuring a quality of life in rural areas comparable to that in cities. Foreign concepts are sequentially analyzed: E. Howard's "Garden City," F.L. Wright's deurbanism, the Marxist-Leninist theory of eliminating differences, and the Soviet experience with agrarian cities. Special attention is given to modern institutional mechanisms: the European policy of multifunctional rural development, the Belarusian program for creating agrarian towns as "support nodes," and the Russian State Program for the "Integrated Development of Rural Areas." The theoretical and methodological basis of the research comprises a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach synthesizing methods of historical, comparative-legal, and systems analysis. The historical-genetic method allowed tracking the evolution of views on the problem of differences between urban and rural areas. The comparative-legal method helped identify common principles and national features of agricultural development regulation. The author concludes that the most viable models are not the utopian concepts of complete merging of city and countryside, but pragmatic strategies that combine urban standards of infrastructure with preservation of traditional lifestyles, cultural landscapes, and ecological balance. For the effective implementation of the sustainable rural development program in the Russian Federation, the author believes it is necessary to legislatively establish clear criteria for classifying areas as rural, transition from fragmented subsidies to a comprehensive social standard for rural life, diversify the rural economy by supporting non-agricultural activities including rural tourism and folk crafts, and create a positive image of the countryside as a space for a technological and eco-friendly lifestyle. Certain attention should be given to promoting rural life as a sustainable lifestyle for citizens.