The dissertation is devoted to the formation and development of a mechanism for overcoming the differentiation in the development of rural areas. The essence of the definition of "rural territory" has been analyzed, the administrative approach to defining the concept of "rural territories" has been clarified. The components of modern concepts for rural development–social, economic, ecological, and digital – are singled out. Attention is focused on systematizing the components of the rural development concept.
Scientific approaches have been formulated, serving as the foundation for an effective rural development concept, ensuring predictability, economic viability, environmental friendliness, social cohesion, flexibility, purposefulness, synergism, and dynamism, while revealing the conceptual essence of rural development.
The necessity of differentiating rural development, grounded in principles such as complexity, economy, quality, mutual benefit, hierarchy, integrity, timeliness, sustainability, and innovation, has been established. It has been determined that differentiation yields generalized indicators, including improvements in rural population welfare, enhancement of natural resource quality, and promotion of effective business activities. Based on the proposed differentiation, economic cycles of rural development have been identified, which stimulate either development or decline, along with existing developmental challenges.
It has been proven that the development of communities is influenced by social, economic, cultural, and infrastructural aspects. This development is determined by the improvement of residents' living conditions over a certain period (five, ten, or more years).
A competitiveness ranking of the studied communities was established, and a competitiveness polygon of the most promising territorial communities in Zakarpattia region was constructed.
Approaches to constructing a mechanism for overcoming differentiation in the development of rural territorial communities were outlined, considering organizational, ecological, and economic aspects.
It was substantiated that the complexity of the mechanism for overcoming differentiation in the development of rural territorial communities is ensured by its implementation at the state, regional, and local levels.
The mechanism for differentiation in the development of rural territorial communities is supported by the implementation of various directions, including financial, infrastructural, educational, entrepreneurial, social, informational, and individual aspects.
The main attention is paid to forecast scenarios of the development of rural territorial communities. The general approaches to the construction of an agricultural land cluster within the Zakarpattia region were analyzed and the implementation of a cluster organization of agricultural land development within territorial communities aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the region was proposed.
