Moscow state of mind
From Object to Subject: A Metamorphosis towards Context-Sensitive Urban Futures
A. Stolyarova (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
D.A. Sepulveda Carmona – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
F. Rizzetto – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
This master’s thesis investigates the vulnerability and fragmentation of natural territories in the context of Moscow’s intensive urban expansion. The study critically examines existing urban planning approaches, which rely on large-scale master plans and major development projects that often overlook local natural processes and socio-cultural contexts. The research raises the question of an alternative model of urban development in which natural territories are treated as active actors, possessing agency and the capacity to influence spatial and governance decisions.
The study is based on a critical analysis of historical and contemporary urban planning documents and management tools for Moscow’s natural territories, with the aim of evaluating their effectiveness and degree of implementation. Building on identified gaps in current approaches, the research draws on theories of systems of care and rights of nature, rethinking the management of natural territories through recognition of their vulnerability, local processes, and spatial identity. The theoretical analysis is complemented by spatial interpretation aimed at identifying critical areas for potential interventions.
The anticipated outcome of the research is the development of a conceptual framework that proposes a sustainable alternative to dominant large-scale development models. This approach emphasizes the support of local actors, bottom-up initiatives, and mechanisms of local governance, while unlocking the socio-cultural and ecological potential of territories through spatial solutions grounded in principles of care and restoration.
Keywords:
Urban expansion, Natural territories, Fragmentation, Systems of care, Rights of nature, More-than-human urbanism, Moscow, Urban palimpsest, Morphodynamics, Environmental governance, Non-human actors, Spatial justice, Liminal spaces, Metropolitan regions.
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