cleveland ohio skyline with industrial buildings

Classical Location Theory

This course traces the key theories and conceptual models that have been developed to explain why economic activities tend to locate where they do.

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Course Info

  • Duration 11 video lessons (169 Mins)
  • Published Published
    2020
  • 4.32
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Browse Course Chapters

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    1.
    Introduction
    Chapter Duration 2 mins
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    2.
    What is Location Theory?
    Chapter Duration 23 mins
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    3.
    Agglomeration: Why Cities Form and Grow
    Chapter Duration 17 mins
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    4.
    Agglomeration: Why Cities Form and Grow, Part II
    Chapter Duration 11 mins
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    5.
    Bid-Rent Theory: Von Thünen and Alonso
    Chapter Duration 17 mins
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    6.
    Bid-Rent Theory: Von Thünen and Alonso, Part II
    Chapter Duration 10 mins
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    7.
    Industrial Location: Alfred Weber
    Chapter Duration 16 mins
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    8.
    Industrial Location: Alfred Weber, Part II
    Chapter Duration 12 mins
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    9.
    Retail Location and Urban Market Areas: Palander, Hotelling, and Reilly
    Chapter Duration 12 mins
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    10.
    Retail Location and Urban Market Areas: Palander, Hotelling, and Reilly, Part II
    Chapter Duration 16 mins
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    11.
    Central Place Theory
    Chapter Duration 27 mins

Course Description

Understanding and describing the location of business activities has long been a focus for urban planners, regional scientists, and economic geographers. This course traces the key theories and conceptual models that have been developed to explain why economic activities tend to locate where they do. To introduce and explain these theories, this course covers several foundational concepts in classical location theory, including agglomeration economies, bid-rent theory, locational triangulation, urban market areas, and Central Place Theory.

At the end of this course, you will understand the basic principles and economic theories that explain why businesses tend to locate where they do, and thus the spatial-economic structure of cities.

Learn these skills

  • Development
  • Economics
  • History
  • Land Use
  • Urbanism

AICP CM

This course is available for 2.75 AICP CM credit

AIA CES

This is 1 LU.

Meet Your Instructor

Kevin Credit

Kevin Credit

Kevin is the Assistant Director for Urban Informatics at the Center for Spatial Data Science at the University of Chicago, as well as an Assistant Instructional Professor for GIScience there.

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Join thousands of urban planners on Planetizen Courses

Very effectively covers the history and evolution of ideas leading to Central Place Theory. Effectively walks the line between overview and enough detail to flesh out a large topic.
- Joseph S.
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