The Architectural and Urban Development Image of an Infrastructure Facility: Legal Regulation Problems

In the context of creating a high-quality and comfortable environment, the problem of shaping the external appearance of settlements becomes particularly relevant. Currently, in urban planning, zones with different functional purposes are not always clearly separated. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for residential and office space to be located together in the same building. This necessitates the regulation of architectural solutions and the external appearance of the urban environment. In December 2022, Russian legislation introduced a procedure for approving the architectural and urban planning appearance of a capital construction project. This received a very mixed assessment among experts. The article analyzes the main directions of formation of the legal framework for carrying out this procedure. The authors emphasize the need to regulate architectural solutions and the external appearance of the urban environment in order to preserve its identity.