ALTERNATIVES TO A POSITIVE ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

The continued development of certain lines of quantitative-theoretical work in economic and urban geography has been a legacy of the quantitative revolution. The positivistic features of much work on the spatial structure of urban areas, location theory, spatial interaction, and analysis of economic change over space are discussed and criticized. Phenomenologists and Marxist scholars present alternative methodological frameworks. Values and goals are considered appropriate for debate and analysis in a middle course which involves a “value-critical'’approach. The application of this approach to economic and urban geography suggests a heightened interest in policy, in values and goals, and in the role of the public sector.