Cities are born, grow, develop and, of course, age. The older the city, the more often it faces the problem of dilapidated housing stock. The desire to improve the urban environment requires a solution to this problem. Currently, two main directions are used: reconstruction (by which we mean improvement, modernization, but preserving the structures and the existing planning concept) and renovation (demolition and new development). An analysis of urban planning practice in the regions of the Russian Federation made it possible to establish that in 98.7% renovation is used to solve the problem of obsolete housing stock. In the course of visual observation, field study of the renovations carried out, approaches to obsolete buildings, urban planning and, in correlation with them, social problems that cause a deterioration in the level of comfort of the urban environment were identified.

Keywords: reconstruction, renovation, urban planning, dilapidated housing, sustainable development of the city, old housing stock, urban environment