According to UN-Habitat, creating multifunctional areas is one of the basic principles of sustainable urban development. Combining different functions in one space — commercial, business, residential — allows to overcome the problem of circular migration, reduce the load on public transport, contributes to the development of pedestrian and transport infrastructure, additional employment opportunities in residential areas, and also helps to increase the variety of land use scenarios. But in practice, the transition from mono-functional areas to districts with various functions is quite slow, because the development of such areas is expensive: properties and facilities are sold slower and management requires significant resources.

• What benefits does the city receive from creating mixed-use neighbourhoods?
• Why can it be profitable for developers to create such neighbourhoods?
• How is a functional balance in the suburbs of Russian cities achieved?