Topicality. In the context of urban development, the issue of urban management in order to prevent risks and solve economic, environmental, socio-psychological problems of urban development with their impact on human life becomes relevant.
Aim and tasks. The aim of the study is to substantiate the essence of managing the formation of local areas as a human habitat and material base in terms of urbanization processes as complex socio-economic and ecological systems.
Tasks of the study: analysis of the preconditions, positive and negative features of the development of urban processes; characteristics of trends and stages of urban processes in the world; presentation of a new approach to the study of the city, taking into account its multifunctionality and interdisciplinarity; consideration of current trends and factors in the development of cities and urban settlements; coverage of the socio-psychological side of the development of urban processes; substantiation of the approach to planning and management of urban land use on the basis of a new model of urban territory through the formation of "atmosphere" as a nonlinear system of inevitable interaction of ecosystems, economic and socio-psychological relations; development of principles of urban areas management through socio-economic-ecological components in the context of modern urban processes.
Research results. The preconditions, tendencies, risks, ways of development of urbanization are analyzed, the characteristic of a modern condition of this process is given. The study of urban space in terms of demographic, urban, environmental, social, economic and information aspects is substantiated. Factors of development of urban processes, in particular demographic, economic, ecological, town-planning, social and cultural are considered. Modern trends in urban development and urban settlements are described. The directions of risk prevention and solution of economic, ecological, social and psychological problems and problems of development of urban processes with their influence on human life and socio-ecological development of economy are presented. The formation of a new model of the territory of cities on the basis of a nonlinear system - "atmosphere" taking into account the socio-psychological side of the development of urban processes is substantiated.
Conclusion. The main goal of the current stage of urban processes requires research and the formation of new approaches to the management of a complex system called "city" and its territories. The new model requires taking into account the socio-economic and ecological potential of the territory, conservation, rational use and reproduction of resources in the relevant area. Particular attention needs to be taken into account socio-psychological and a variety of other factors, according to which urban settlements are developing and functioning, gaining rapid growth with the development of urban processes. The greatest attention is paid to the problems of compliance with environmental requirements, conservation of land use, biodiversity and the general state of the ecosystem.
The urbanisation of spatial inequalities and a new model of urban development