Moscow Archaeology of the periphery

Gridlock, the Donut and the Intelligent Solutions. In recent years, the Moscow conurbation has experienced a rapid expansion and transformation. Due to the rate of growth of the urban landscape, the city is facing a loss of identity today; it is becoming more and more difficult to control the territorial expansion of the built environment. This ongoing process, affects the quality of life that the city itself can offer to its users. Among the several factors that determine the liveability of a great modern city, the availability of high-quality transport infrastructure certainly play a huge role; this must be conceived in terms of accessibility to the entire population and the rapid connection between places, maximizing opportunities for citizens and businesses that "live" - every day - the wider and wider territory.

Moscow is a clear example of a monocentric urban morphology, according to both its transport infrastructure network and public/private land use distribution. The radial axis system and orbital paths are reflected in the road fabric as well as in public transport. The current transport scheme was planned and developed over time, based on the assumption that demand for mobility all gathered towards the city center.

Following these principles, the urbanized territory of Moscow has been shaped in “super-functional blocks”, accessible by few roads (characterized by large section) which serve as connection to big areas, which remain otherwise inaccessible. Such a configuration clearly affects traffic flow; the limited availability of roads cannot allow for proper vehicular circulation. As a result, the few large connections and rigid patterns of circulation are often congested by immense traffic jams, causing longer trip times, slower speeds and increasing vehicular queuing.

Gridlock!