An article gives a review of the scientific literature on the urban environment in Krasnoyarsk, defines main areas of research of this topic, provides analysis of representative scientific publications reflecting the fixation of characteristics and describing the dynamic change of the environment. The result was an examination of more than 50 sources, including applied projects and the results of surveys of citizens and experts. The application of the research results is a study within the framework of the RFBR project on urban transformations in Krasnoyarsk since 1990–2010. The author makes a conclusion that modern studies of Krasnoyarsk have been carried out in the following areas: the diagnostics to determine the level of city’s ecological state; monitoring public opinion; research on the causes of migration of educated youth, as well as aesthetic criticism of the territory; cataloging the historical, cultural and architectural heritage objects; discussing city planning and the problems of this plan implementation, as well as the problems of the general mobility of citizens, including the accessibility of the urban environment for persons with reduced mobility. Moreover, the article draws attention to the cityplanning concept of the “garden city” as an embodiment of the synthesis of social, aesthetic and green intentions of society.