The Institute for regional studies and urban planning was established in 2011 as a research unit of the HSE Universuty. Since 2018 it is the part of the HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development and is responsible for conducting research in the field of territorial and strategic planning, preparation of strategic documents of regional development, development projects and financial-economic models of innovation and investment development of urban areas, development of tourist clusters concepts, providing research in the field of spatial and socio-economic development of the Arctic territories of Russia, development of innovative models for managing of urban development. Scientific-applied activities of the Institute combined with the implementation of research results into the educational process in cooperation with the Chair for regional studies of the Department of public and municipal administration, Faculty of Social Sciences.