The Russian authorities are attempting to turn Moscow into a showcase of urban development and democracy. They inquire after Muscovites' preferences on every trivial detail from how frequently they should mow public lawns to the order in which they should repair the city's streets. But the authorities' desire for feedback ends there.
According to a recent interview that Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin gave on Govorit Moskva ("Moscow Speaks") radio, his main achievement during his five years in office has been to change the ideology of how Moscow develops.
According to Sobyanin, Moscow is transforming from a city overburdened with cars, lacking in public spaces and unattractive for its residents to a city catering to the needs of its inhabitants.
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