Abstract <p>The article examines the historical and geographical features, changes in functions, and location of food markets in Moscow. Despite significant changes in the economy and the perception of markets by city residents, Moscow’s markets continue to play an important role in the city’s infrastructure and retain their cultural and historical value, reflecting the capital’s centuries-old traditions as a trading city. The developed methodology for assessing markets includes not only reliance on regulatory documents and historical and geographical methods, but also an expanded empirical approach: field observations and wide application of geoinformation analysis. This made it possible not only to record the distribution of markets across the city, but also to understand what functions they perform in practice. From an urban development perspective, markets have the potential to act as centres of attraction both within districts and at the city level. This is confirmed by data on transport accessibility and interdistrict market coverage, identified during GIS analysis and the introduced centrality rating. As a result of the analysis of the spatial dynamics of the Moscow trade and market system, a tendency of gradual shift of markets from central territories to the periphery was revealed. This is due to both increased competition from retailers and government policies on urban redevelopment. At the same time, the formation of new types of market spaces in the format of public-business clusters is observed. The examples of the Danilovsky and Cheryomushkinsky markets clearly demonstrate how architectural and functional renovation can restore the market’s status as a core public space for both the area where it is located and the city as a whole.</p>