Researchers often provide historical accounts to give their profession a better sense of understanding about its own past. For example, a researcher might study the effect of the implementation of a sewage system on Chicago in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This would provide a useful history of the subject, but also help urban management researchers understand the effect of public utilities on the population.
Researchers with a background in computer science, statistics or mathematics can create a number of research papers into the area of traffic control and routing. A researcher might try to optimize the timing on light signals based on the flow of traffic and the time of day. He could also produce an alternative map for public transportation or suggest a different number of vehicles in the fleet. Each of these has very applicable purposes.
Zoning is another important subject of research and a constant topic for city councils. What is the best way to mix commercial, residential and industrial zones? Which cities seem to have found the right equation, and how many parks are needed to break up the city? For those interested in suburban research, suburban sprawl might be a good topic of study as well. A researcher could determine what ways optimize and discourage the negative effects of sprawl.
Another research topic surrounds the different types of laws that are enacted, their intended consequences and actual results. These laws could be compared with the results in different cities that took a different path. For example, what does the impact of a strict anti-graffiti and -broken windows law do to the overall crime rate in the neighborhood? According to some analysts, these laws have an effect on the overall violent crime.