The presented article analyzes modern ways of qualitative assessment of agricultural territories in order to identify the existing principles to order and assess the prospects of development of such territories within the projected boundaries of rural network structure (rural agglomeration). The hypothesis about the key principles to which the ways of qualitative assessment of territories for the purposes of its urban development within the rural agglomeration should be prepared is presented.

Keywords: rural network structure, rural agglomeration, qualimetric landscape method, functional belonging criterion