Some Comments on Central Place Structure and Rural Planning

Abstract

Regional scientists have distinguished between location-allocation and urban functions planning methods to improve the range of urban goods and services in rural regions. Problems common to any planning method at this regional level include assessing the effects of the external economic environment on accessibility to urban goods and services and evaluating methods of identifying sectoral investment programs. This commentary suggests that economic policies and market failures may be important phenomena that explain low accessibility to these goods and services. Identifying central place gaps presents numerous problems, particularly in indistinct hierarchies that are probably typical in less developed countries.

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References

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