The article describes the tendencies in architectural and spatial development in the cities of the Baltic Sea region. The cities with rapid economic growth and large potential on the Baltic scale, such as Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, St Petersburg, have become an attractive target for foreign investments, while at the same time they encounter a variety of problems that are related to their spatial development, as strict guidelines for separate territories of the city, particularly those where large-scale development is planned, have not been defined. Economic and political factors as well as personal involvement of the public in project implementation are among preconditions for development of these territories. The work on implementation of these projects should be carried out according to the plan accepted by all interested parties, therefore in urban planning a particular attention should be paid to the co-operation among professionals, politicians and the society.