The article presents modern foreign and domestic trends in architectural-spatial and functional-planning solutions for economy-class apartments and the prospects for the development of typical design in Russia. It is becoming increasingly clear that mass construction in Russia does not require significant development since Soviet times, when construction should be carried out for the sole purpose of providing citizens with affordable housing with minimally acceptable parameters in shortened terms. The most significant differences of modern Russian housing from foreign is the reduced range of functional premises and smaller areas. The modern consumer has other ideas about comfortable living. In addition, modern domestic and foreign experts in the field of architecture and construction confirm the need for an innovative approach to the design of urban buildings. It is assumed, that the use of existing trends in the housing project will significantly increase the level of comfort of apartments without a significant increase in the cost per square meter. Comparison of domestic and foreign experience in the construction of residential buildings brought a number of common features and significant differences, which are analyzed in the article. They include: the tendency to individual design, the tendency to a change in living space, the tendency of vertical functional zoning, the tendency of zoning, the trend of expanding the functional-planning composition of the standard layout of ancillary rooms, sanitary and household zones.