Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 2.2
Spatial economics and its architecture
2.4
A Holistic Map of Regional Science
In the course of history, many regional science scholars have corroborated the role
of space in explaining economic processes (Garrison
1959
; Barnes and Gregory
1997
). This merger of space and economics has resulted into a new branch of
economics, complementary to economic geography and often coined spatial eco-
nomics. It focuses the attention in particular on spatial analysis, based on a modern
toolbox of quantitative research. This holds for many domains (such as urban
economics or transportation economics) and issues (such as location theory, growth
theory, theories on spatial behaviour, spatial competition, development theory).
Clearly, spatial economics is partly overlapping with regional science and partly
with socio-economic geography. From this perspective, NEG has a rather narrow
scope, as it only addresses the economic aspects of geography (see Dymski
1996
;
Martin
1999
; Thomas
2002
; Bosker et al.
2007
). It should be noted that, whether the
term spatial economics is used or the term socio-economic geography—or in a
broader sense, regional science—, all these scientific orientations are concerned
with the spatial pattern and interaction of systems of production, distribution or
consumption (or more generally, human activities) in a spatial context, including
the management, planning and forecasting of spatial development. The methodo-
logical architecture of spatial economics is depicted in Fig.
2.2
.
The focus on human activity in space does not mean an exclusive orientation
towards the economic geography of our planet. Human activities takes place in a
broad force field and has to positioned in a broader context, in which many other
