Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
station have been eliminated from consideration. Your final choice with be either “A” or “B.” Is one
location clearly preferable?
Figure 2-2:
Potential sites for
a gas station.
Analysis of the geographical information indicates the two properties have one key difference: Prop-
erty A is located on a corner lot, while Property B is in the middle of a block. Is that difference sig-
nificant? Think about the location of every gas station you have ever seen. Is it on a corner or in the
middle of a block? It's almost always on a corner, isn't it? And the main reason is that, on a daily
basis, more cars (potential customers) pass by a corner lot as opposed to a middle-of the-block lot
because the corner adjoins two roadways rather than one. In addition, corner lots are somewhat easier
to enter and exit. Accordingly, the answer to your geographic question (Where should my gas station
be located?) is lot A.
Summing up
Intheprocessofchoosingalocation foryourgasstation, youhavebeenthinking geographically once
again. Only this time, however, you began by considering where something (a gas station)
should be
located. You then proceeded to acquire and organize (map) pertinent geographic information, analyze
it, and answer the question.
Looking ahead
At the beginning of this case study I mentioned that thinking geographically about where something
should be
located has important applications in the fields of planning, business, and industry. Indeed,
virtually every tool, concept, and content area of geography has useful applications. To reinforce this
point, and to help you recognize the practical value of geography, Chapters 3 through 18 include a
specific example. Be on the lookout for a sidebar whose title begins with “Applied Geography.”
