Key takeaways 

• On July 18, 2011 three Federal Laws were passed, introducing some important amendments to the Town Planning Code of the Russian Federation. 
• These amendments essentially resolve two major sets of issues by: (a) introducing the rule that building permits are tied to the land plot, rather than the developer; and (b) introducing the definition of capital repairs, clarifying the definition of redevelopment, and abolishing the requirement to obtain a permit for most forms of capital repairs.