Moscow and Abu Dhabi are two rapidly growing and gentrifying global capitals, striving to take their place on the world stage. Like many developing cities, they’ve experimented with crass, Las Vegas-style development schemes, seeking the urban vision they’ve seen on American TV shows. Increasingly, they’ve been horrified by the result. Abu Dhabi, with a tenth of the world’s petroleum reserves, has learned from the mistakes of its better-known neighbor, Dubai, as well as those of American cities. It is now using its wealth to impose more sophisticated design, transport and sustainability requirements than most any US city. Now Moscow is starting to catch up, with new efforts to repair the urban realm of the historic city, and plan more walkable, livable communities at its burgeoning edges.