Methodological approaches for Moscow urban agglomeration delimitation based on mobile network operators data
In the article, based on the methodology of determining the functional urban areas of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with the use of data from mobile operators about the localization of network users, the boundaries of the Moscow agglomeration are identified and it is spatial structure is analyzed using the approaches of the chrono-geography concept. The analysis showed the impossibility of using the OECD methodology without its adaptation to Russian conditions. For example, according to this technique, the entire territory of the “real city”, including the “sleeping areas” of Moscow and its satellite cities, falls into the core zone. At the same time, the suburban area extends to the territory of almost the entire Moscow region, going in many directions beyond its borders. The adapted version of the method of delimitation involves reducing the size of the core to the boundaries of the Moscow ring road with a corresponding decrease in the boundaries of the suburban area, which is consistent with the approaches and ideas developed in practice in Russia. Using the methodology of the chrono-geography concept, a model of “pulsating agglomeration” was developed. It is a new variant of studying and analyzing the dynamics of socio-economic functioning of agglomerations, taking into account the different time socio-economic rhythms of the Moscow agglomeration. As part of the agglomeration, “static” - constant throughout the year and “movable” - seasonal suburban areas were identified, which allowed to include in the analysis of “pulsation” not only the population of the structural elements of the agglomeration, but also its boundaries depending on the seasons.