Geography 207 Economic Geography

1. Geography 207Economic Geography Professor William B. Beyers Teaching Assistant: Derik Andreoli What is economic geography? What are its roots, and to what is it related? What are the goals for this course? What are the class requirements? What are the day-to-day mechanics?

2. Some key topics Why locating businesses properly helps guarantee profitability Why land use patterns arise in cities Why regional economies grow or decline How large, global corporations are reshaping the geography of production How industrial systems are being reshaped by the information revolution Why geography matters in economics!!

3. How Has All This Changed Since Sept. 11, 2001? • What new considerations need to be taken into account for security in production? • How will this change land use in cities? (e.g. rethinking huge agglomerations of people who can be murdered by terrorists: we had prior “small warnings.”

4. How has this been changed since Sept 11, continued • Impact on Regional Economies: Demand shocks: Locally - Boeing; the travel industry; consumer panic. • Impact on Globalization processes - WTO revolts as a predecessor, but with very different roots than the Sept. 11 attacks. • Role of IT in helping a new type of “war,” even as we catch up to methods used by terrorists to use it.

5. More, Since Sept. 11 • Geographic Impacts: • Can we predict them: Some, localized • Can we predict them: Uncertain consumer behavior • Can we predict them: Uncertain corporate responses • Can we predict them: Uncertain government and international agencies response • Result: A period of Extreme Economic Instability

6. Economics – Key Topics • Allocation of Scarce Resources • Markets for Production, Distribution, and Consumption • The Division of Labor • Solving What, How, What Price, What Quantity, and Where Production Takes Place • Types of Economic Systems • Neoclassical versus Behavioral and Structural Approaches

7. Economic Geography: Background • Roots of Modern Economic Geography • Von Humboldt - Cosmos • Environmental Determinism • Commercial Geography • The Quantitative Revolution & Theoretical Geography • Applied Geography, Including Business Geographics • Regional Science, Urban Planning, Business Administration including Marketing

8. Chapter 1: The Study of Economic Geography Topical Geography • Introduction Physical Geography Human Geography Viewed Over Time Regional Geography Production, Distribution, and Consumption --Description of location, and explanation Site and situation

9. Subfields of Economic Geography 1. PRIMARY ACTIVITIES agriculture, resource extraction, hunting, fishing, and gathering 2. SECONDARY ACTIVITIES manufacturing, construction 3. TERTIARY ACTIVITIES retailing, services 4. QUATERNARY ACTIVITIES information services, research GOVERNMENTAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION

10. Approaches to Economic Geography • Positivism - using the scientific method to explain • Structuralism & Marxist approaches • Humanism ---- Economic Location Theory -- Figure 1.6 puts Figure 1.3 into space (place) Research design: nomothetic, ideographic, behavioral: Impacts, policy, applied geography

11. Globalization • Mobile Global Capital - investment more footloose • Deregulated markets • The rise of multinational corporations • Weakened nation-states vs. MNC’s. • Tensions between homogenous global conditions & localities desire to retain identity

12. Spatial Patterns & Processes • Point (nodes) & linear patterns • Nodal vs. uniform regions; choropleth maps • Surfaces, isolines • Hierarchies • Identifying processes that explain patterns

13. Goals For This Course • A Comprehensive Survey of the Field • Some Hands-on Experience using materials covered in the text & lecture • An appreciation of how the materials we will cover are treated in more advanced courses and in related fields • Recognition of both theoretical principles and their real-world application.

14. Course Requirements: Mechanics • Two Midterm Examinations • Final Examination • The Examinations are based on the Textbook and the Lectures • Three Research Exercises • Participation in Discussion Sections • Lecture notes: Available as links off course web page, but not all the graphics.

15. Grades and Points Point Distribution - Tentative Exam 1 and Exam 2: 100 points each Final Exam: 150 points Research Exercises - 35 points each Grades: Class Median = UW Undergraduate Median = 3.1

16. About Beyers (discussed on Monday Oct 4) • Seattle native, live in West Seattle, UW undergrad and Ph.D. graduate • Economic Geography is my field • Research Interests: • Service Economy; New Economy; Economic Trends in U.S. regions; Trends in the Rural West • Other: Active in Service, University Committees, Past Chair in Geography • Enjoy Teaching this Class Immensely.

17. About Andreoli • BA, MA, and almost Ph.D. from the UW • Working on Peak Oil • Skilled in GIS and economic geography • Derik, offer up other comments about yourself!