The spatial pattern of housing construction in the Moscow metropolitan area: Radial and sectoral differentiation

The task of this work is to reveal the forms of spatial transformation of the Moscow metropolitan area due to the sectoral and radial differentiation of housing construction. The research is based on the monitoring of all multi-story housing projects under construction and development. These projects are classified by size class, location relative to existing housing stock, housing prices, and distance from highways. The localization of housing projects relative to the main highways changes non-linearly as the distance from the Moscow Ring Road increases. The core of the Moscow metropolitan area is relatively evenly sprawling in the 10-km zone outside the Moscow Ring Road. The nearest suburban zone of Moscow Oblast is being developed not only along key highways, but a significant part of housing projects is implemented in inter-highway intervals. As the distance from the Moscow Ring Road exceeds 10 km, the urban sprawl is replaced by the strengthening of the axes of the settlement pattern along main transport corridors (highways and railways), and the distance of projects from the highways decreases. This trend is particularly evident in the northeastern, eastern and southeastern segments of the suburban zone. In the peripheral zone of the Moscow metropolitan area, projects are concentrated mainly on the outskirts of existing towns, and the distance from highways increases in comparison with the suburban zone.