Conquering the inner-city: Urban redevelopment and gentrification in Moscow

The politico-economic transformation in Moscow since the collapse of the state socialism has brought Moscow wealth and prosperity. The Moscow government's entrepreneurial strategy has facilitated that process by encouraging renovation of the inner city's housing and has privileged market forces in relation to the inner city's original residents and even in relation to the interests of this city's historic conservation institutions. While housing privatization has created the supply for the residential markets, socio-economic stratification has created differential demand and varying ability to maintain the residential units. The changes have been particularly intensive in Central Moscow, which traditionally had been both the administrative and business center and a prestigious place of residence. Introducing a housing market has set in motion demographic filtering by price, to which has begun to distribute people in space according to their economic wealth.