Location theories

Location theories belongs to the space economic theories that . They examine the location behavior of the restaurant subjects - how households, enterprises and also state institutions at a certain place settle and try -, this behavior in models to represent.

Location structure theories

Location structure theories ask for the optimal arrangement of enterprises in the area and their change with the time. To the location structure theories those belong Thuenen circles of the and of developed .

Theories of the business choice of location

Theories of the business choice of location are occupied with the optimal the motive for profit - at which place thus can the highest profit be gained? The enlargement of the market share, future security and subjective motives do not play however a role which can be underestimated.

If these goals are certain, the optimal location can be selected after these categories. In addition the conditions (location factors) on different spatial levels are to be compared: Which country is best suitable for the new settlement? Which region? And finally which municipality and where there exact?

Neoclassical location theory

placed in his fundamental work Over the location of the industries (1909) a model for the determination of optimal locations for the industriellen individual enterprise up, substantially of Transport costs is affected. To its model from the outset critically was noticed that its premises are rather out of touch with reality, then sets weber z. B. an unlimited worker offer or complete information of the decision makers over the spatial distribution of the markets and the location factors ahead. Also weber theory is strongly for the transport costs appropriate and neglected as substantial factor of the location decision thereby all other factors of production.

1956 extended weber location theory over substitution principle and rated thereby the location decision to one between factors of production in one general equilibrium model over.

this theory extended by a variable cost model, so that in the context of a total model all spacedependent costs and proceeds of the enterprises can be regarded. Smith introduced also aspects like business being able, regional policy and regional taxes into the model.

By its extensions the neoclassical location theory became more meaningful. Some the premises already criticized with weber (purer " to learning processes and informationsprozesse attributed, developed starting from 1967 a new location-theoretical model, which is based on a behavior-scientific beginning.

For the location decision of the individual enterprise the quality of decision-making processes in this model, which it examined empirically, is fundamental. Preds conclusions were:

• Status of information and entrepreneur achievement on the one hand and quality of the location decision on the other hand are correlated with high probability strongly positively.
• Entrepreneurs with same status of information and same information use capacity can select different locations due to personal preferences, or also due to coincidences.

In addition Pred referred the time as additional dimension into its model, since the status of information of the decision makers in the zeitverlauf can change (for instance by new communicationses or data processing technologies, in addition, by the possibility of the imitation of successful entrepreneurs and their location decisions). The decisions of the enterprises will work after Pred on a long-term basis ever more rationally and on a misalignment of the business locations to the location optimum.

The behavior-scientific beginning Preds tried for the first time to reconstruct the actual decisions with the choice of location. Behavior-theoretical explanation models could be confirmed several times empirically. Marked that psychological-subjective motives of the choice of location were overestimated, there the classical location factors in the context of this model hardly a role to play critically and the conditions that physical geography and of the Traffic are not considered. Just as the neoclassical theory neglects "homo psychologicus", ignore the behavior-scientific beginning "homo oeconomicus" to a large extent.

Additions

Already Pred referred to the meaning of mental and cultural characteristics for the choice of location. Alf K. Fernau sees strong industry-specific location advantages and disadvantages in these peculiarities. Thus environmental industries prefer regionally prevailing ecological thinking, strongly arbeitsteilige, labor intensive industries an offer of very much disciplined employees, investment-intensive industries a high savings inclination and a respectable treatment of banking transactions, innovation-intensive industries a risk-joyful basic attitude and open-mindedness at a location.

Often the location identification of enterprises under the conditions of a steady economical, already not explainable by classical theories, existing Structural change can be regarded likewise behavior-scientifically. Empirically a persistence tendency could fundamental be determined: Enterprises try to hold to their existing location. If the entrepreneur behaved consistently as Gewinnmaximierer, would have with everyone favourable locations to be searched. The costs of the location search and the permanent change of station oppose that, but are often smaller with larger investment projects this than the advantages of a permanent change of station. Often instead of a location misalignment, the situation eight-hurry of the old location is first tried by rationalization measures, change of the product range, production of new sales markets to adjust functional location splitting of the enterprise or in-house growth and contraction processes. These measures will affect spatially effectively and the industrielle location structure by their frequency often more than the new settlement or complete misalignment of enterprises. In large, in the course that the meaning of persistence factors decreases to world-wide active enterprises however ever more strongly.

Literature

• Alf K. Fernau: Choice of location as component of the competitive ability. A quantitative tool. DUV, Wiesbaden 1997 ISBN 3-8244-0358-7
• Peter Gehrung: Spatial settlement mismatches. Empirical analysis of regulation factors in the context of theoretical location decision considerations. Long, Frankfurt/Main u.A. 1996 ISBN 3-631-30831-0
• Gunther Maier/Franz Toedtling: Regional and Stadtoekonomik. Location theory and regional structure. 2. Edition. Springer, Vienna u.A. 1995 ISBN 3-211-82683-1
• Markus Pieper: The inter+regional choice of location behavior of the industry in Germany. Consequences for local location marketing. Schwartz, Goettingen 1994 ISBN 3-509-01658-0
• Ludwig Schaetzl: Economic geography 1. Theory. 9. Edition. Schoeningh (UTB), Paderborn 2003 ISBN 3-8252-0782-X