Types of cities in Russia and across the globe

Abstract

The paper defines the idea of capitalness, describes types of capitals in different countries, and outlines the typical aspects of Russia’s capital. Differences between industrial and postindustrial cities are also laid out, with an emphasis on the main features of the latter and the specifics of postindustrial cities in Russia and Ukraine. The notion of a city’s function and multifunctional cities’ issues are also covered in the paper. It is included in the selection of five articles published in the current issue in the “Urban Geography” section dedicated to the key terms and concepts used in urban geographical studies in Russia, France and other European countries (see also “Cities, Rural Areas and Urbanization: Russia and the World”, “City and Countryside under World-Wide Urbanization”, “Integrated Forms of Urban Settlement Pattern in Russia, Europe, and Worldwide”, “Cities and Social Processes: Rethinking Notions and Concepts”).