Economic Geography

Clark, John R.

doi: 10.2307/142729pmid: N/A

Ian Hodder and Colin Renfrew have hypothesized that the nature of ancient trading systems can be deduced from the curvature of distance decay gradients derived from the dispersal of artifacts recovered at archaeological sites. They identify three types of exchange: “local,” with a gradient convex to the origin in a single-log interaction model, “down-the-line,” with a linear gradient, and “random-walk,” with a gradient concave to the origin. The random-walk pattern is said to be characteristic of complex trading networks. Roman period coins excavated at Dura Europus in Syria were used to test these ideas. The trading system was complex, therefore random-walk curvature was anticipated, but the curves were highly convex to the origin, contrary to expectations. This could be the result of circulation across the boundary of die region where the coins had value as money. Interaction values would have been artificially raised within the monetary zone and depressed outside of it, producing strong curvature. The pattern of steepness of the gradients conforms to expectations based on the value and transportability of the coins. It is also likely that political conditions and Roman monetary policy influenced the gradients.

White, Andrew N.

doi: 10.2307/142730pmid: N/A

The concept of accessibility of service facilities to target populations is an inadequate criterion for public facility location problems, since it overemphasizes dispersed facilities as location solutions. Without consideration of interactions and linkages between services in public facility systems, the complete range of facility location patterns that can be observed in urban settings cannot be characterized. Through techniques of spatial pattern analysis, different degrees of facility concentration are demonstrated to exist for human service systems in selected urban areas. A method for co-locational analysis is also introduced in order to examine the nature of locational interdependence and its role in describing the structure of public facility concentrations. Given the empirical evidence and a theoretical basis, it is argued that the criterion of facility accessibility should be considered along with a criterion of facility linkage or agglomeration in any comprehensive locational analysis of public facilities. Furthermore, the analytical usage of accessibility can be appropriately expanded to evaluate both facility systems and individual facilities.

Seley, John E.

doi: 10.2307/142731pmid: N/A

Public service evaluation is increasingly important. Technical approaches, alone, are insufficient to meet new demands for analysis and planning in a political environment. This paper examines the problems of technical analysis in the professional fire service and presents an alternative approach—ethnographic analysis. It is found that the ethnographic approach reveals new insights for the fundamental planning issues of location, community participation, service delivery, and cost-effectiveness. These findings suggest that both quantitative and qualitative evaluations can be useful in public service policy making.

O'Loughlin, John; Munski, Douglas C.

doi: 10.2307/142732pmid: N/A

Rehabilitation of old homes is proceeding at a rapid pace in two neighborhoods, Algiers Point and Lower Marigny, close to downtown and the Vieux Carré in New Orleans. Although both neighborhoods are similar in size and socioeconomic composition, the scale of rehabilitation is greater in Lower Marigny because of its proximity to areas previously renovated. Respondents pointed to two major sets of forces, the attraction of historic buildings and proximity to urban services, as reasons for their housing rehabilitation decision. Property sales have increased dramatically since the onset of rehabilitation. The pattern of sales is contagious in Lower Marigny, reflecting the greater degree of renovation in that area, but, as yet, does not display any predictable pattern in Algiers Point. Both neighborhoods are moving toward a composition similar to other inner-city rehabilitated areas occupied by white, middle-class professionals with displacement of indigenous groups.

Gregor, Howard F.

doi: 10.2307/142733pmid: N/A

The results of a multivariate analysis of production factor inputs challenge several commonly held views of the large farm in the Pacific Southwest. No “superfarm” predominates, with several large-farm types being indicated. Nor do farms with large capital supplies and efficient management, the most important large-farm type, form a majority; they are also much less typical of operations in the larger and most productive agricultural regions than they are in areas closer to the city. Large farms in general also do not, despite wide distribution, dominate in the vast majority of counties. The information thus suggests that large scale operations may not threaten smaller operators as much as assumed, and that urban growth may stimulate more than depress both farm productivity and efficiency, even in a region noted for the severity of competition for land.

Fisher, W. B.

doi: 10.2307/142734pmid: N/A

Smith, Neil

doi: 10.2307/142735pmid: N/A

O'Keefe, Phil

doi: 10.2307/142736pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1080/00130095.1979.11741746pmid: N/A