Inter-Regional Cooperation in Waste Management: New Trends in Moscow and the Moscow Region

Globalization metrics rank Moscow as an alpha global city and the second most populous city in Europe. The city’s rate of urbanization and population growth has increased over the past decade triggering outward urban sprawl and the attendant need for spatial development within the city’s suburb – the Moscow Region municipality. This study focuses on internal factors and trends facilitating the need for inter-municipal waste management cooperation between the Moscow metropolis and the Moscow Region municipality. The paper reviews the policies driving this partnership and the inter-sectoral network facilitating waste management. Partnership effectiveness is evaluated via a multi-indicator approach, alongside qualitative thematic analysis comprising public surveys and the review of legal, administrative and operational documents. The findings reveal that cooperation between the municipalities is primarily driven by the convergence of socio-cultural factors, common territorial boundaries, the provision of public utilities and urban spatial constraints.