The article describes role of water bodies for sustainable urban development. The Verkhny pond basin in Kaliningrad city was taken as an example of such aquatic natural-anthropogenic systems. This basin was a subject of research of the team of the Department for Ichthyology and Ecology of Kaliningrad State Technical University for many years. The article briefly characterizes the above area from ecological, geographical, hydrographical, historical and functional points of view; and gives direction of its further development.