During the administrative-territorial reform of the second half of the XVIII century. There was a process of not only creating a large number of cities, but also creating with them the infrastructure necessary for the execution of cities assigned to him administrative functions (city reform). Reformers who implemented this task on the ground were everywhere faced with a lot of difficulties. The need to look for funds and buildings. Administrators were constantly looking for a compromise between software requirements and the opportunity at their disposal. However, the infrastructure created at that time formed the basis of a modern management system and often continues to fulfill these tasks today. The work on the basis of archival documents analyzed the process of implementing plans for the reform of the city on the example of Moscow.