This study focuses on why and how shared territories adjacent to Moscow residential buildings differ from stereotypes of blighted "no-man's land." It begins with a broad history of their formal and informal governance, followed by an overview of their present design, management and use. These sections assist with interpreting the results of structured interviews and a questionnaire survey conducted from March 2012 through July 2013. In Moscow, ensuring attentive management of residential commons is one of many government approaches to building support. While this has effectively controlled blight, it possesses limitations rooted in highly centralized responsibility for decision-making and finance. A convincing majority of respondents expressed satisfaction with not having to engage in managing the territory around their homes, and dissatisfaction with not having a practical way of influencing related decisions of personal importance. This suggests that resident satisfaction is best maintained through attentive management with practical options for substantive influence and fair distribution of costs. Establishing such options also makes investment in design adaptations more efficient by channeling resident motivation and familiarity with specific conditions. Likewise, it allows interested residents to help guide the use of commons around their homes. Governance of this kind may help enhance the appeal of high-density living worldwide. iii