Introduction to a document prepared by Albert Alvarez, Emma Dragovic, Jason Forrester, Ayon Ibrahim, Sotirios Oikonomou and Oliver Vickerage from Stage 4 of the Mackintosh School of Architecture. This is the result of a 6 month investigation into Moscow’s periphery. The work is in 3 parts: the first sets the scene with a review of Moscow today that looks at structure, demographics, space and economy; the second part presents a series of personal reflections on lines of enquiry that are highly relevant to the pursuit of urbanism today; and the third examines the architectural and spatial characteristics of the microraion of peripheral Moscow following a timeline from the inner city of 1920s to the edge city of the 1990s. Finally conclusions and insights are drawn about the livability and functionality of Moscow’s periphery.