The Uneven Development of Moscow in the Current Spatial Structure of the Modern Metropolis

Abstract

Moscow, as one of the largest cities in Europe and the world, has come a long way from the capital of a communist state to a global capitalist city in the last 30 years. The post-socialist transition of the urban space continues, and the legacy of the urban planning policy of the Soviet past will determine the appearance of the city for a long time. The problem this research address is that uneven development affects the quality of the urban environment and the quality of life of residents, especially those who live in segregated or peripheral areas. We proceed from the hypothesis that contemporary Moscow has inherited and perpetuates patterns of spatial inequality that developed in the socialist past. The methodology of the study is based on spatial data analysis: demographic statistics of residential buildings in Moscow, information about commercial buildings, the placement of service facilities, the cost of residential real estate, and historical statistics. The study identified clusters of spatial inequality in Moscow, assessed the quality of the urban environment in these clusters, and gives a comparative assessment of the clusters. The analysis of demographic statistics revealed patterns in the settlement of employees in Moscow. A comparison of modern data with historical data showed the presence of stable patterns in dividing the city into the center and periphery since the period of socialism. We also revealed the existence of a significant middle zone of the city, which, although inferior to the center in terms of environmental quality, is better than late socialist residential areas. The five-floor housing stock, which is located in the periphery and middle part of Moscow, provides a better urban environment than later built districts.