Review article

The article discusses the initial town-planning policies of St. Petersburg that ensured the success of the city development in the XVIII and XIX centuries. The concept of the St. Petersburg «genetic code» is disclosed, examples are given illustrating its influence on urban planning solutions referring to different stages of the city development and the role of system connections in practice. It is pointed out that at present any signs of connection with St. Petersburg traditions are hardly existent in modern peripheral residential areas of the city. Examples of reference to the provisions of the «genetic code» are few and not always productive. The authors express their opinion about the futility of attempts of selective, non-systemic application of certain provisions of the «genetic code».