PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2010, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (12): 1499-1508.doi: 10.11820/dlkxjz.2010.12.005

• Original Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Formulation of Public Facility Location Theory Framework and Literature Review

SONG Zhengna1, CHEN Wen2, YUAN Feng2,3, WANG Li2,3   

  1. 1. Nanjing University of Information Science &|Technology, Nanjing 210044, China;
    2. Nanjing Institute of Geography &|Limnology, CAS, Nanjing 210008, China;
    3. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2009-12-01 Revised:2009-12-01 Online:2010-12-25 Published:2010-12-25

Abstract:

It is the basis for harmonious development of society that public facilities are allocated rationally with the aim to maximize efficiency and fairness, so public facility location theory has been concerned deeply by the scholars from various fields such as geography, urban planning and economics. Existed literature reviews have been in the absence of the formulation of public facility location theory framework, and the related researches since the late 1990s have received less attentions. We summarize public facility location theory framework by the contrast of public facility location theory and the traditional location theory in the aspects of locational selection objective, decision maker, theoretical bases, and research themes. Based on“reconsidering the legacy of urban public facility location theory in human geography”written by Deverteuil, we briefly discuss the research themes, methodology, theoretical bases and limitations of the Western public facility location theory in the initiated phase, the quantitative era and the postquantitative era. And then we review the latest Western researches with special emphasis on the period since the late 1990s, from the aspects of multiobjective facility location models of multiple facilities, spatial accessibility measurement, spatial planning decision support system and so on. Meanwhile, we briefly introduce the domestic related research of public facility location. After clarifying the development process of public facility location theory, we propose several possible future research directions including the overall planning of urban and rural public facilities allocation, the layout of a variety of facilities in coordination, and the diversification of location decision-making factors.

Key words: equity and efficiency, location theory, public facility, social welfare