The most strong side of domestic school of regional economy were researches, providing planning of placing of productive forces and regional development. These researches were directed on realization of radical changes in placing of productive forces (motion east and north), regional program and large investment projects development, creation of methodical bases of the system of the territorial planning and management (in particular case new forms of territorial organization of economy).

The first large all-russian scientific centers on regional researches were become by Commission on the study of natural productive forces (KEPS), created an academician V.I. Vernadskim in 1915 in a height First world wars.

By noticeable landmarks in the applied researches, since 20th, were: plan of GOELRO, ground of the economic districting, development of regional cut of the first five-year plans, projects of the Uraloy-blacksmith combine, program, program "Large Volga" and other The specialized scientific collectives, included in the system of Gosplan of the USSR and Academy of sciences of the USSR, were created, and also state plans and academies of sciences of the allied republics, higher educational establishments. By head scientific organization on regional researches with 1930 Council became of study of productive forces (SOPS). Systematic large expeditions got organized in insufficiently known regions, and also scientific conferences were conducted on problem regions.

From 60th researches of many scientific and project organizations are synthesized in the pre-planned (prognosis) document — General chart of development and placing of productive forces the USSR. In 70 document is the Complex program of scientific and technical progress (including sections on the allied republics and summary regional volume). Thus the General chart as more concrete document (on 10—15 years) was developed mainly (ministerial) by scientific organizations (to 500 research and project institutes were attracted), and the Complex program as in a greater degree strategic document (on 20 years) developed at the leading role of institutes of Academy of sciences of the USSR. The last General chart engulfed a period 2005 to, and the last Complex program — 2010 to An important synthetic document was also the regularly renewed General chart of settling apart of the USSR, summarizing the charts of the district planning and projects of development of city agglomerations.

Along with preparation of the all-union pre-planned documents in 70—80th regional researches activated in all allied republics. Scientific bases of the large regional programs (Western-Siberian complex, economic mastering of area of the highway), programs of forming of complexes, oriented to the use of rich natural resources (Timano-pecherskogo, Pavlodarsko-Ekibastuzskogo, , groups of complexes of the region and other), local programs of administrative-territorial educations, were developed. Considerable decentralization of regional researches happened. To the middle of 80th in all allied republics and many administrative centers of Russia (mainly on east and north) there were more than 50 institutes with predominance of regional subject.