The city of St. Petersburg has been developing its strategy for sustainable development since 1996. The methodology used is new in the regional planning in Russia. The key features of this plan worth stressing are: strengthening of the city competitiveness, partnership in the plan's development, combining of the long-term vision and tangible actions, etc.

The Plan also focuses on negative factors for further development of the city. These are: unfavourable climate and complicated hydro-graphic conditions, typical for the cities located in the deltas of the rivers, significant income differentiation of the population, low -quality houses, obsolete engineering communications, lagging industrial and economic structure, etc.

After SWOT analysis, the main goals for St. Petersburg's development were defined.

The first strategic direction is creating of the favourable house keeping climate. It will require developing complex economic and administrative conditions for house keeping and will exert influence on city business.

Secondly, integration into the world economy, will enhance external trade and city transport functions, strengthen competitiveness in manufacturing. Ideally, the city aims at promoting itself on the world market with the cultural and tourist services.

Thirdly, improvement of the city's image is in the focus. With this actions for the renaissance of the city historic centre, creation of the reconstruction zones, development of the communication networks, development of infrastructure, and improvement of the environmental conditions will follow.
Finally, the city wants to create favourable social climate, focusing on better employment and more effective social protection system for families, children and the old and the disabled.

Also, St. Petersburg Government continues with the sustainable development orientation in its Program Statement. Provision of environmental security for the present and future generations of St. Petersburg inhabitants, obligatory evaluation of the engineering, industrial and construction impact on the city environment, environmental security as integral part of all the spheres of city housekeeping, use of the best existing technologies, openness and the availability of the ecological information for the citizens, participation of the citizens and the NGOs in solving environmental problems are among some of the priorities.

The realization of all the above mentioned principles stipulates the priorities of the city development.