Territorial Infrastructure Development and Regional Economic Inequality: A Systematic Analysis

This article is dedicated to the systematic analysis of the relationship between regional infrastructure development and regional economic inequality, based on a systematic review of scientific literature that accounts for contemporary trends influenced by globalization, urbanization, and pandemic effects. Utilizing the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to analyze a number of empirical studies from the Scopus, Web of Science, and ResearchGate databases. The results demonstrate that digital infrastructure can potentially reduce regional income disparities by 10-15%, whereas transport and energy projects may exacerbate inequality by 1-2%, particularly in developing countries due to debt burdens and political conditions. In developed countries, the growth of inter-regional disparities (GDP differences up to 70%) arises from the unequal distribution of infrastructure investments. In conclusion, the necessity of making infrastructure policies inclusive and sustainable is emphasized, providing recommendations for increasing local investments and ensuring resilience to global shocks in developing countries.