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Advanced Placement Human Geography Session 4. Location theory explains the locational pattern of economic activities by identifying factors that influence.

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Presentation on theme: "Advanced Placement Human Geography Session 4. Location theory explains the locational pattern of economic activities by identifying factors that influence."— Presentation transcript:

1 Advanced Placement Human Geography Session 4


3 Location theory explains the locational pattern of economic activities by identifying factors that influence this pattern.

4 The patterns formed by primary and secondary industries divide the world into regions based on economic activities.

5 Primary industry develops around the location of natural resources. Example: the industrial belt in the British Midlands.

6 As transportation improves, secondary industry develops. Secondary industry is less dependent on resource location. Raw materials may be transported to factories for manufacturing.

7 Variable costs Energy, labor, and transportation are less expensive in some areas than others. Low costs encourage industries to develop. Location depends on several factors.

8 Distance decay As distance increases, business activity decreases until it becomes impractical to do business. Location depends on several factors.

9 Where are industries more likely to serve markets? In nearby places, largely because of friction of distance.


11 Immanuel Wallerstein first used the following terms in 1974: core periphery semiperiphery

12 He used the terms to promote dependency theory among nations. Many economic geographers now use the core-periphery model to describe economic spatial patterns in general.

13 Core regions have concentrations of primary and secondary industries. Peripheral regions do not. Semiperipheral regions have some industries in contrast to peripheries, but not as many as the core regions.

14 Even within core countries wealthy urban cores lie in contrast to depressed rural peripheries.

15 Example: modern-day United States “High tech” concentrations create wealth that contrasts to rural areas or “rust belt” industrial areas that provide few job opportunities for young people. “High tech” areas include the Pacific coastline, the Northeast, some interior cities (e.g. Austin, Texas).

16 With more jobs in the service sector, people move to areas where those jobs are provided, leaving the peripheral areas with even fewer resources than they had before.

17 A look at India… This country has clear core/peripheral distinctions. High tech jobs are often outsourced by Western companies and are growing rapidly in urban centers. Urban centers contrast to peripheral areas that still adhere to traditional customs and occupations.


19 In his Theory of the Location of Industries published in 1909, Weber developed a model for the location of secondary industries. Weber identified points for particular inter-related activities, such as: manufacturing plants mines markets

20 Weber’s industrial model has been compared to Von Thünen’s agricultural model. Both are examples of location theory that explain patterns of economic activities.

21 The least cost theory explains the location of industries in terms of three factors: transportation labor agglomeration

22 The site of industry is chosen in part by the cost of moving raw materials to the factory and finished products to the market. Business owners look for the least expensive transportation costs.

23 Truck transport is cheapest over short distances. Railroads are most cost efficient over medium distances. Ships are cheapest over long distances. Transportation involves terminal costs which vary considerably. Terminal costs are least expensive for trucks and most expensive for ships.

24 The cost of labor is important when determining the location of secondary industries. Cheap labor may allow an industry to make up for higher transportation costs.

25 Example: A factory may relocate from the U.S. to Mexico where transportation costs to market increase but are more than made up by cheaper labor costs.

26 If several industries cluster in one city, they can provide support by sharing talents services facilities

27 A restaurant needs furniture and equipment, and the companies that provide those products have workers that bring business to the restaurant. AN EXAMPLE…

28 All the workers need clothes that may be provided by a clothing store that also needs furniture and equipment and employs people who eat in the restaurant. AN EXAMPLE…

29 The point of agglomeration explains location of industry. Excessive agglomeration may lead to an increase in labor and transportation costs. This is called deglomeration, or the exodus of businesses from a crowded area.

30 The substitution principle suggest that business owners can juggle expenses such as: labor land rents transportation This balancing of expenses allows a business to be profitable within a larger area than Weber’s model suggests.


32 Another approach to location theory is locational interdependence, or the influence on a firm’s locational decision by locations chosen by its competitors.

33 This model is concerned with variable revenue analysis, or the firm’s ability to capture a market that will earn it more customers and money than its competitors.

34 An example of this theory was provided by the economist, Harold Hotelling: Two ice cream vendors on a beach sold identical products and had a fixed demand for ice cream from their customers (those on the beach). Where should each vendor locate?

35 Example (continued): In reality, what generally happens is that both vendors on the beach will cluster in the middle. That way each can have half but can also compete for those customers located in the middle. This maximizes the customer base.

36 Example (continued) The problem is that some customers will have to walk farther to get ice cream. They may then change their minds and not want ice cream. If that happens, the vendors might have to relocate.

37 Below is an illustration of locational interdependence using the example of two vendors on a beach.



40 Situation factors have to do primarily with transportation —bringing raw materials or parts into a factory and shipping the finished goods to consumers or retailers.

41 Bulk-reducing industries usually locate factories close to raw materials because the raw materials are heavier and bulkier than the finished products. Examples: North American copper industry; U.S. steel industry

42 Factories for bulk-gaining industries usually determine location by accessibility to the marketplace. Examples: canned food; beverage products Weight is gained and transportation costs are increased so being close to consumers is important!

43 Single-market manufacturers also cluster near their markets. Example: clothing manufacturers who ship their goods to New York City

44 Von Thünen noted for farmers that perishable products need to be close to large urban markets.

45 Site factors are particular to a geographic location and focus on varying costs of: land labor capital

46 Modern factories are located in suburban or rural areas, and NOT in center cities, where land costs are prohibitive for the space necessary for production.

47 Climate may also impact location decisions, with some industries drawn to relatively mild climates and opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation activities.

48 The cost of labor is another consideration, especially for labor-intensive industries. Examples: fiber-spinning weaving cutting and sewing fabric into clothing

49 Textile industries require skilled workers and so they often choose locations where labor costs are low. Example: China and other Asian countries have cheaper labor.

50 Sometimes businesses are influenced by the willingness of banks in a geographical location to provide loans to entrepreneurs. Example: California’s Silicon Valley Banks offered large incentive packages to persuade businesses to locate within their city limits.

51 Footloose industries are neither resource nor market-oriented. Example: Both parts and finished products in the manufacture of computers are expensive, so transportation is only a small part of total production costs.

52 Location theory Core Periphery Semi-periphery Variable costs Friction of distance Distance decay Core-Periphery Model Immanuel Wallerstein Dependency theory Alfred Weber Least Cost Theory Agglomeration Transport media Deglomeration Locational interdependence theory Hotelling

53 Situation Site Bulk-gaining industries Bulk-reducing industries Single market manufacturers Footloose industries


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