Ethnic contact zones in the Moscow region: delimitation and analysis based on the data from mobile operators

For the first time in Russia the study provides a comprehensive analysis of ethnic contact zones (ECZ) in the Moscow region using data on the location of foreign migrant users from the mobile operators. The B.M. Ekkel’s Index of Ethnic Mosaicity (IEM), tailored to the specific features of cellular data, has been used to identify the ECZs. Previously, the index has been primarily calculated for countries and regions. It was not applied at the intra-urban and intra-agglomeration levels because of the lack of reliable statistical databases. The high spatial resolution of cellular operator data allowed for the consideration of interethnic contact density at the level of localities measuring 500×500 m². As a result of the analysis, approximately 60 ECZ were identified in the Moscow region, which differ significantly in their spatial and functional characteristics. Most of these areas are located in or near Moscow or in the closest urban districts. A typology of ECZ is proposed based on the leading factors of their origin. About one-fifth of all ECZ coincides with major transport hubs, such as airports, bus and railway stations, and the intersection of major highways. Approximately the same number of ECZ is in the residential areas of Moscow and its satellite cities, with affordable housing and good transport accessibility to the center of the agglomeration. Another common type of ECZ is formed in the areas of active housing development. Specific types of ECZs associated with social, business, and cultural activities of foreigners have also been identified near large universities, diplomatic missions, and religious sites. Finally, the development of the largest ECZ (Novomoskovskaya, Yugo-Vostochnaya, and Yuzhnoportovaya) could be attributed to several factors at once, making them a specific complex type of ECZ. In addition, other parameters such as the area, the amount of potential migrant contacts, and their intensity within a given territory were taken into account. It is believed that the developed approach to ECZ delimiting and analyzing may become one of the tools for geospatial analytics of ECZ and monitoring risks of inter-ethnic conflict at a local level.