The Evolution of Neoliberal Urbanism in Moscow, 1992-2015

Abstract

This article examines the urban development of Moscow from 1992 to 2015, arguing that the city's recent transformation from grey asphalt jungle to a "city comfortable for life" is driven by a process of neoliberal restructuring. In particular, the study finds that a set of multi-scalar dynamics-namely, the global financial crisis, the rise of a local protest movement, and an intensified rivalry between federal and Muscovite elites-were the key driving forces behind Moscow's current evolution. The work advances a conceptual framework of neoliberal urbanisation that enhances the literature on post-socialist cities and, more generally, the broader debate on actually existing neoliberalism.

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