The city of Moscow and the Moscow agglomeration

Abstract

The Moscow agglomeration, the largest in the Soviet Union, the stages of its historical development, its functional and spatial structure are described in a geographical aspect. The characteristic features of the agglomeration are examined by its main component parts: its nucleus, two belts of satellites, its outer zone. A description is given of the changes that take place in the functional structure of these parts, of the interaction between the nucleus and its surrounding area, and, in particular, of Moscos's role in forming the satellite zone, of city types. The development of marginal satellites, of secondary agglomerations, of focal points in the outer zone are noted. Particular attention is centered upon the processes of Moscow's transformation: redistribution of the population, changes in the proportion of different functions, the rise of industrial zones, changes in the ecological situation. The author emphasizes the iimportance of a wider economic basis for the agglomeration and of its spatial organization.