The Invisible City

Abstract

The data on the interdependence between the densification of quarterly buildings, the increase in the density of road network sealing (RNS), and accordingly the size of the quarters of the historical part of Moscow are presented. It is established that since the twenties of the 20th century, Moscow, like other Russian cities, has been compacting buildings not only without the development of RNS but, on the contrary, reducing the number of streets and alleys, enlarging the buildings, and the size of city blocks. As a result, a huge number of blocks of historical Moscow have become larger, lost their internal structure, and were filled with chaotic buildings, which eventually led to a reduction of the thinned street network and environmental discomfort. A comparative analysis of the ratio of the density of buildings and the road network in 20 major cities in Russia and Europe was carried out, which showed the impossibility of further increasing the density of the historical part of Russian cities without increasing the density of RNS due to the structural division of large blocks. The possibilities of a "returnable" increase in the communication potential of the quarters of the historical part of Moscow and the ordering of their internal structure are considered.