The Geography of Housing Values in the Transformation to a Market Economy: A Case Study of Moscow

Rapid progress of the market-oriented reform in Russia has led to the emergence of urban housing markets. The intraurban spatial differentiation in market valuation of housing suggests a conceptually new insight into the internal structure of the socialist city. This paper demonstrates that apartment prices in Moscow are largely determined by accessibility to the center of the city, social status of the neighborhood residents, and proximity to certain amenities such as recreational facilities or disamenities such as noxious industries.