Containing the growth of Moscow: Comparisons with London

The relative dominance of large cities in the USSR is striking given the traditional Soviet ideological bias against such cities. This bias has been translated into policies designed to divert growth away from major urban centres to satellite cities in the metropolitan region, a strategy quite similar to UK urban and regional economic plans. This article examines urban growth in the Moscow metropolitan region to determine the extent to which satellite city policies have helped regulate the growth of Moscow itself. Throughout the analysis the Moscow experience is compared to and contrasted with the UK regional development experience around London.