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This article presents a pedagogic review and explanation of a core idea in location theory. Central to the analysis is the von Thünen model, a cornerstone of agricultural land use theory. The model is adapted to non‐uniform transport surfaces, enabling an exploration of how improved transport corridors, such as roads and canals, alter economic landscapes. The article explores the influence of enhanced transport corridors within agricultural growing regions and provides a conceptual framework for understanding the impacts of improved transport infrastructure. By examining incremental changes of varying effectiveness, we shed light on the multifaceted effects of these corridors. Using a spatial‐price equilibrium model, findings reveal and quantify how these improvements contribute to increased supply, price moderation, and cost reduction. Networks that provide full connectivity with large reductions in transport cost have the greatest effect, as might be expected, but there are subtle spatial zones displaying differential impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomethane represents one of the solutions towards the European Union (EU) energy transition, being capable to decarbonize the EU's energy system and to reduce the dependence on imported natural gas, as underlined by the "REPowerEU" energy policy program. As its production is expected to expand primarily from biogenic wastes and residues, such as agricultural residues and animal effluents, it is necessary to make its deployment cost-efficient, taking into account factors such as local resources, existing infrastructure, and raw material and investment costs. From this perspective, this paper proposes a replicable predictive model for locating agro-biomethane plants according to raw material potential, relative economic factors, and territorial characteristics. To this end, an analysis was conducted in the Geographic Information System environment, based on location theory. The analysis included testing the minimum transport cost of feedstock in a case study of a rural area in Southern Italy. Three optimal locations for 2 MW size plants were selected where some key element conditions had been identified. The research findings may provide useful information for the EU policymakers in defining more specific energy planning strategies, in accordance with the REPowerEU objectives, addressing the increase in biomethane production by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Economia Política do Desenvolvimento (REPD) is the property of Revista Economia Politica do Desenvolvimento (REPD) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The substantial rise in automobile ownership and expansion of metropolitan areas in recent decades, especially in emerging nations, has resulted in a severe shortage of parking spaces. This problem not only causes significant traffic congestion and an increase in accidents but also places a considerable financial burden on individuals and worsens air pollution. Despite extensive research on addressing the parking issue, there is still a notable deficiency in effective approaches for selecting the best locations for multi-story parking structures, particularly in major cities in Iran. Hence, acknowledging the significance of effective parking management in addressing these problems, This study aimed to provide a comprehensive framework for choosing parking locations in Shiraz's business district. This study combined the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) with a Geographic Information System to make fuzzy multi-criteria decisions. In determining acceptable locations, numerous aspects such as closeness to business hubs, distance from key roads, land prices, population density, and the feasibility of erecting multi-story parking structures were taken into account using these approaches. The findings revealed that districts 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 in Shiraz's core area had the most potential for the construction of multi-story parking facilities compared to the other 30 central districts. Additionally, the findings showed that accessibility to major roads, population density, and proximity to trip generators were the most relevant factors in deciding where parking facilities should be located in Shiraz. When the results of the two approaches were compared, it was found that while the models' results were basically similar, the AHP model's user-friendliness made it easier for urban managers and planners to understand and apply. Policymakers and urban planners can use the insights provided by the outcomes of these models to make well-informed decisions on parking infrastructure expenditures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The substantial rise in automobile ownership and expansion of metropolitan areas in recent decades, especially in emerging nations, has resulted in a severe shortage of parking spaces. This problem not only causes significant traffic congestion and an increase in accidents but also places a considerable financial burden on individuals and worsens air pollution. Despite extensive research on addressing the parking issue, there is still a notable deficiency in effective approaches for selecting the best locations for multi-story parking structures, particularly in major cities in Iran. Hence, acknowledging the significance of effective parking management in addressing these problems, This study aimed to provide a comprehensive framework for choosing parking locations in Shiraz's business district. This study combined the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) with a Geographic Information System to make fuzzy multi-criteria decisions. To determine suitable locations, factors such as proximity to business hubs, key roads, land prices, population density, and construction feasibility were assessed. The findings identified districts 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 in Shiraz's core as having the highest potential for multi-story parking facilities among the 30 central districts. Additionally, the findings showed that accessibility to major roads, population density, and proximity to trip generators were the most relevant factors in deciding where parking facilities should be located in Shiraz. Policymakers and urban planners can use the insights provided by the outcomes of these models to make well-informed decisions on parking infrastructure expenditures.

This paper examines a regional economic model within the framework of welfare economics under various economic and spatial constraints. These constraints include decreased local budgets, limited conditions for markets for goods and services, markets for factors of production, public goods, and fewer opportunities of agglomeration economies. In many areas of a given region, such constraints can be more evident, partly because of external forces of severe economic competition among different regions and countries. Unless effective planning and policy remedies are considered, these regions may cause obstacles to pursuing stable and sustainable growth and development. This paper presents the sustainable resilience policy of a generalised framework of smart planning strategy that uses an intra- and inter-regionally coordinated cooperative networking system. The regional economic model used in this paper reveals that the system may work sufficiently only if the scale and scope of coordination are optimally organised because of the presence of the barriers of physical distance; complexity of contracts; and other economic, spatial, and administrative restrictions. Our scenario enables the region not only to passively receive incoming external economies but also to actively discharge the spill-over effect to others, which forces involved economic agents to cooperate rather than compete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diálogo com a Economia Criativa is the property of Dialogo com a Economia Criativa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The digital economy has broken the physical space limit, reshaped factor input ratios, and accelerated factor mobility, which drives carbon reduction and social sustainability. Digital enterprise agglomeration is becoming the new tendency and a significant spatial feature for digital economy development. This work aimed to study the impact of digital enterprise agglomeration on carbon intensity. This study first proposed an extended spatial stochastic IPAT (STIRPAT) theoretical framework and regarded digital enterprise agglomeration as a technology factor. Secondly, by building a dataset with 7,902,050 digital enterprises and using the distance-based Duranton and Overman index, this study evaluated the digital enterprise agglomeration of 278 cities from 2007 to 2017 in China. Thirdly, by matching micro digital enterprise data and macro city data, this study employed spatial Durbin, mediating, and moderating effects models to test the impact and mechanism of digital enterprise agglomeration on carbon intensity. There are four main findings: (1) There is a negative "U-shaped" correlation between digital enterprise agglomeration and local and neighboring cities' carbon intensities, and the impact of neighboring digital enterprise agglomeration on local carbon intensity is more significant than the effect of regional digital enterprise agglomeration on local carbon intensity. (2) The impact of digital enterprise agglomeration on carbon intensity shows great differences under spatial, resource, industrial, and financial heterogeneity. (3) Digital enterprise agglomeration indirectly impacts carbon intensity in two ways: the green technology innovation effect and the industry structure rationalization effect. (4) Human capital enhances the role of digital enterprise agglomeration in reducing carbon intensity, whereas government intervention weakens the effect of digital enterprise agglomeration in decreasing carbon intensity. This paper suggests that digital enterprise agglomeration strategies should be dynamically adjusted based on local digital economy development and resource conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a generalized version of the Weber problem of finding a point that minimizes the sum of its distances to a finite number of given points. In our setting, these distances may be cut off at a given value C > 0 , and we allow for the option of an empty solution at a fixed cost C ′ . We analyze under which circumstances these problems can be reduced to the simpler Weber problem, and also when we definitely have to solve the more complex problem with cutoff. We furthermore present adaptions of the algorithm of Drezner, Mehrez and Wesolowsky (1991 [The facility location problem with limited distances. Transportation Science, 25(3), 183–187, INFORMS]) to our setting, which in certain situations are able to substantially reduce computation times as demonstrated in a simulation study. The sensitivity with respect to the cutoff value is also studied, which allows us to provide an algorithm that efficiently solves the problem simultaneously for all C > 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid urban population growth and industrial agglomeration, the urban land supply is becoming gradually tight. Improving land use quality (LUQ) is becoming increasingly critical. This study was carried out in the Luohe built-up zones between 2013 and 2021. The aim is to explore the growth characteristics of LUQ and determine the association between the inner urban location and the growth rate from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity. Therefore, based on a socio-economic-environmental framework, we selected an integration/GDP/population/artificial-surface Rate, and a remote-sensing-based ecological index to construct a LUQ assessment framework that is more stable and applicable for developing urban areas. Additionally, then, multiscale geographical weighted regression is adopted, which can better help us explore the scale of the location factors. The results show that: (1) The LUQ overall growth is gradually slowing. High-quality areas clustered in the urban center and subsystem elements spread outward along the national and provincial highways to drive boundary expansion; (2) In the W/E/SE direction, land use tends more towards physical sprawl than usual development and expansion; (3) Location factors were distinguished as global, semi-global, and local. The global factors constitute the homogenized locational space. Semi-global and local factors constitute a heterogeneous locational space. The latter is critical to guide LUQ growth. LUQ assessment can promote intensive land use. Exploring location factors can further guide the LUQ spatial growth and provide data in support of urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread adoption of ICT including mobile apps and their online services has significantly reshaped human activities in urban spaces. The complex interaction between ICT on urban space presents challenges in understanding their relationships. This study aims to discover the empirical evidence of the spatial variance of urban space linked to ICT. To pursue this objective, this study defines spaces that leverage ICT-based activities as Digitally Accessible Spaces (DAS), and choose restaurants that provide online reservation services through NAVER, which is the most dominant search engine in South Korea. Based on fundamental measurements in location theory, we stratified the entire area in Seoul into four groups in order of profitability. Using the location quotient (LQ), we quantified the locational characteristics of DAS compared to overall restaurants. Consequently, three measurements, which are density of marketplace, distance from public transit, and proper land use, indicate that the second-tier profitable areas commonly possess the largest portion of DAS. These characteristics provided empirical evidence supporting previous studies highlighting the liberation effect and altered travel behavior resulting from ICT-based activity through qualitative and theoretical approaches. We expect that this study can contribute to further research related to the interaction between digital space and physical space. • Proposed empirical research framework to reveal the locational characteristics of restaurants differed by online reservation • Defined a space associated with ICT-based activity through digital services as a research subject • Revealed quantitative locational characteristics of digitally accessible space • Discovered the empirical phenomenon of the variation of urban space linked to ICT [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Presently, low transport costs enable geographical separation of industrial processing and resource location. • Climate Change requires a rapid move towards a low carbon economy. • High transport costs for renewable energy resources, relative to fossil fuels, suggests that nations with large surplus endowments will have a comparative advantage for energy intensive industrial activities. • This has major implications for our understanding of industrial location and land use in the future low carbon economy, especially in light of proposals for carbon border taxes. Reductions in freight transportation costs have favoured agglomeration and radically decreased the requirement for production activities to take place adjacent to natural resources. As the world transitions towards a low carbon economy, with energy generated from renewable sources, this could change. The cost of transporting renewable energy is relatively high. This creates a significant competitive advantage for regions which can combine surplus clean energy resources with strong institutions and developed capital markets. My findings show renewable energy is both heterogeneously distributed, and its transport costs significantly alter the price of undertaking industrial activities in locations without surplus renewable energy generation capacity. This has major implications for the organisation of global value chains and suggests that future models of industrial location would benefit from incorporating this dynamic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a bi‐objective strategic location problem to address access and coverage. While previous research in continuous location modelling considered access coverage independently, none has approached such a problem in an integrated fashion. In this paper, a new mathematical formulation considering access and coverage is derived, and a solution algorithm to find the entire set of optimal tradeoff solutions is developed. Application findings are reported for several case studies, varying in problem size. The developed approach is shown to provide critical insights for real‐time decision‐making, facilitating planning, management and policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses quantitative analysis to discuss the effects of the Chinese Communist Party's factional politics on the regional distribution of foreign direct investment inflows from 1993 to 2017. Empirical evidence shows that provincial leaders' personal connections with the CCP's incumbent general secretary had positive and statistically significant effects on the annual growth rate of provincial foreign direct investment inflows. These effects were more salient in inland provinces and during Xi era. These findings challenge the conventional wisdom about the evolution of institutions under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and demonstrate the importance of informal politics in promoting China's economic reform and prosperity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative identification of the location of cultural and creative industries has always been an important issue in the study of micro-locations in human geography. However, most of the previous studies on the location of cultural and creative industries focused on the macro description of the existing cultural and creative industry and lacked quantitative identification of micro-locations suitable for cultivating and developing cultural and creative industries. Therefore, based on the relevant location theory of cultural and creative industries, the urban creative field strength and its quantitative model are proposed. From the perspective of the built environment, 500 m × 500 m grids were established as analysis units based on multi-source data, including society, economy and geography data, using the geographic information system (GIS) analysis technology and spatial entropy weight overlay method to describe and visualize the micro-locations of urban cultural and creative industries. Based on the empirical study in Hangzhou, the following can be concluded: (1) the study method of "single index measurement–entropy method weighting–space weighted summation–hot spot analysis" constructed can quantitatively identify the micro-location of urban cultural and creative industries. It proves that the research framework proposed is scientifically valid. (2) The overall field strength of the creative field in Hangzhou has a circular structure with multiple centers, gradually decreasing outward from the main urban area of Hangzhou, with the sub-centers of the creative field scattered around the core urban area. The most suitable location for the cultivation and development of cultural and creative industries in Hangzhou is located in Wensan District as the core area, which includes Wensan Road, Xueyuan Road, Wulin Square, Hangzhou Future City-Xixi Wetland, etc. (3) The location around the provincial/city/district government land is the core area of creative field strength, which is more suitable for the development of cultural and creative industries. The farther from the core area, the smaller the creative field strength is, and the more obvious the attenuation of distance is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Contemporary economic systems are characterised by the increasing volumes and flow of goods. This attribute highlights the importance of logistics wherein one of the key focus areas pertains to the movement and storage of freight at different geographical scales. Objective: In the light of the importance of theory in research as well as the significance of geographical location in logistics processes, the objective of the paper is to analyse the extent, scope and gaps of theory utilisation in logistics-related research. Method: The paper is based on a systematic literature review approach that encompassed 243 sources. The searches were conducted on the Internet database platforms using keywords such as logistics, logistics activities, geography of logistics activities, supply chain management, logistics theories and freight models. Results: The relationship between logistics research and theory is ambiguous in that the majority of the research does not explicitly incorporate theory. Logistics particularly benefits from theory originating from other disciplines, such as economics, strategic management and marketing; however, the use of theories that originate from human geography has been limited in logistics research. Conclusion: The drive to understand the movement and storage of freight at different scales has relevance to human geography, particularly the subdisciplines of transport geography and economic geography. It is therefore recommended that logistics research consider the theoretical frameworks originating from human geography.

When there is no constraint on the length, efficient algorithms are known for the minmax regret path center, path median, and path centdian problems on trees. In a recent review on location problems, these problems with length constraint were considered as open. The focus of this paper is the minmax regret path center problem with length constraint on a tree. Efficient algorithms are presented for both the continuous and discrete models, which require, respectively, O (n lg 2 n) and O (n lg n) time. Our algorithms are based on an approach introduced by Averbakh and Berman for solving the minmax regret p -center problem. To apply their approach, we give a sufficient condition under which the approach works. This result is of independent interest. According to the condition, polynomial algorithms are obtained immediately for the minmax regret versions of many other center location problems, for which no algorithms were known before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to investigate Du Bois' contributions to the development of an Afrocentric paradigm, the discipline of Africology, and his academic relationship with Africa; as both conceptual idea and as the ancestral motherland to Black people around the world. Furthermore, this article seeks to investigate the cultural location, or the paradigm in which Du Bois operates out of politically and academically, his role in the creation of Black Studies as a discipline, his methodology, and the intergenerational responsibility of African descendent academics. This article will utilize a plethora of Dubois' work. Principally, the writings and speeches collected in Eugene F. Provenzo, Jr. and Edmund Abaka's book W.E.B. Du Bois on Africa; as well as Dubois' 1947 book The World and Africa: An Inquiry into the Part Which Africa has Played in World History. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we apply the minimum information theory to the uncapacitated p-median facility location problem to determine the most probable allocation solution. Indeed, we investigate the bi-level p-median model introduced by [TRANSPORT RES B-METH. 123 (2019) 1–20] in the case that facilities have unlimited capacities. At the upper level, minimizing the cost of establishing facilities and allocating demands is considered, while the most probable allocation solution in the customers' point of view is determined through the lower level. By adding the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker optimality conditions of the lower-level problem to the upper-level constraints, the bi-level model is reduced to a one-level linear mixed integer problem. Some numerical examples are provided to verify the added value of the proposed model and its solution method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a continuous facility location problem on undirected graphs where all edges have unit length and where the facilities may be positioned on the vertices as well as on interior points of the edges. The goal is to cover the entire graph with a minimum number of facilities with covering range δ > 0 . In other words, we want to position as few facilities as possible subject to the condition that every point on every edge is at distance at most δ from one of these facilities. We investigate this covering problem in terms of the rational parameter δ . We prove that the problem is polynomially solvable whenever δ is a unit fraction, and that the problem is NP-hard for all non unit fractions δ . We also analyze the parametrized complexity with the solution size as parameter: The resulting problem is fixed parameter tractable for δ < 3 / 2 , and it is W[2]-hard for δ ≥ 3 / 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Contemporary economic systems are characterised by the increasing volumes and flow of goods. This attribute highlights the importance of logistics wherein one of the key focus areas pertains to the movement and storage of freight at different geographical scales. Objective: In the light of the importance of theory in research as well as the significance of geographical location in logistics processes, the objective of the paper is to analyse the extent, scope and gaps of theory utilisation in logistics-related research. Method: The paper is based on a systematic literature review approach that encompassed 243 sources. The searches were conducted on the Internet database platforms using keywords such as logistics, logistics activities, geography of logistics activities, supply chain management, logistics theories and freight models. Results: The relationship between logistics research and theory is ambiguous in that the majority of the research does not explicitly incorporate theory. Logistics particularly benefits from theory originating from other disciplines, such as economics, strategic management and marketing; however, the use of theories that originate from human geography has been limited in logistics research. Conclusion: The drive to understand the movement and storage of freight at different scales has relevance to human geography, particularly the subdisciplines of transport geography and economic geography. It is therefore recommended that logistics research consider the theoretical frameworks originating from human geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with two single facility location problems. The first problem is about the deterministic weighted (DW) 1-center of a deterministic tree network (DTN). The optimality criterion for the DW 1-center is minimizing the weighted distance to the furthest node from the facility. This problem has many applications in the emergency field since it gives satisfactory results for the customers sited at the furthest node of the DTN. The second problem is about the stochastic weighted (SW) 1-center of the stochastic tree network (STN). The criterion for optimality used in the SW 1-center is maximizing the minimum weighted reliability from the nodes of the STN to the facility. The applications of the SW 1-center problem appear in computer and communication fields. Two linear-time algorithms are presented for both problems.

With rapid urban population growth and industrial agglomeration, the urban land supply is becoming gradually tight. Improving land use quality (LUQ) is becoming increasingly critical. This study was carried out in the Luohe built-up zones between 2013 and 2021. The aim is to explore the growth characteristics of LUQ and determine the association between the inner urban location and the growth rate from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity. Therefore, based on a socio-economic-environmental framework, we selected an integration/GDP/population/artificial-surface Rate, and a remote-sensing-based ecological index to construct a LUQ assessment framework that is more stable and applicable for developing urban areas. Additionally, then, multiscale geographical weighted regression is adopted, which can better help us explore the scale of the location factors. The results show that: (1) The LUQ overall growth is gradually slowing. High-quality areas clustered in the urban center and subsystem elements spread outward along the national and provincial highways to drive boundary expansion; (2) In the W/E/SE direction, land use tends more towards physical sprawl than usual development and expansion; (3) Location factors were distinguished as global, semi-global, and local. The global factors constitute the homogenized locational space. Semi-global and local factors constitute a heterogeneous locational space. The latter is critical to guide LUQ growth. LUQ assessment can promote intensive land use. Exploring location factors can further guide the LUQ spatial growth and provide data in support of urban planning.

Using location theory as a starting point, this paper aims to understand how coworking spaces (CSs) locate within the city and how they reacted to the stress of COVID-19. Through a case study of the city of Montreal (Canada), we show that most CSs locate in areas of high transit accessibility and in central districts, but there is a trend – possibly accelerated by COVID – towards more suburban locations. These location strategies follow logics similar to those of Knowledge intensive services (KIS), including the tendency of some to agglomerate and of others to disperse. For some CSs, there is also heightened sensitivity to interactions with, and contributions to, the local community. Hence, faced with COVID, CSs in transit-accessible places combine an inward strategy, centralizing their activities around members, with a networking strategy , pooling some services and developing partnerships with local or other nearby CSs. Furthermore, CSs in peri -central neighbourhoods are the most vulnerable and have adopted retraction strategies. In contrast, CSs located in low accessibility districts outside the agglomeration adopt an expansion strategy, opening new branches near suburban residential areas to attract nearby workers. As hybrid work evolves, these results can help urban planners better understand the location rationales of CSs, how they adapt, and to what extent they bring added value to local urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conditions underlying the undertaking and developing of a business enterprise in a specific location are strictly connected to the state and any possible modifications of the spatial management in a given area, and the local government of every municipality is obliged to ensure spatial order and to manage the land resources so as to take into account their economic assets.

Quantitative identification of the location of cultural and creative industries has always been an important issue in the study of micro-locations in human geography. However, most of the previous studies on the location of cultural and creative industries focused on the macro description of the existing cultural and creative industry and lacked quantitative identification of micro-locations suitable for cultivating and developing cultural and creative industries. Therefore, based on the relevant location theory of cultural and creative industries, the urban creative field strength and its quantitative model are proposed. From the perspective of the built environment, 500 m × 500 m grids were established as analysis units based on multi-source data, including society, economy and geography data, using the geographic information system (GIS) analysis technology and spatial entropy weight overlay method to describe and visualize the micro-locations of urban cultural and creative industries. Based on the empirical study in Hangzhou, the following can be concluded: (1) the study method of “single index measurement–entropy method weighting–space weighted summation–hot spot analysis” constructed can quantitatively identify the micro-location of urban cultural and creative industries. It proves that the research framework proposed is scientifically valid. (2) The overall field strength of the creative field in Hangzhou has a circular structure with multiple centers, gradually decreasing outward from the main urban area of Hangzhou, with the sub-centers of the creative field scattered around the core urban area. The most suitable location for the cultivation and development of cultural and creative industries in Hangzhou is located in Wensan District as the core area, which includes Wensan Road, Xueyuan Road, Wulin Square, Hangzhou Future City-Xixi Wetland, etc. (3) The location around the provincial/city/district government land is the core area of creative field strength, which is more suitable for the development of cultural and creative industries. The farther from the core area, the smaller the creative field strength is, and the more obvious the attenuation of distance is.

This paper studies the problem of finding a path center on a tree in which vertex weights are uncertain and the uncertainty is described by given intervals. It is required to find a minmax regret solution, which minimizes the worst-case loss in the objective function. An O (n log n)-time algorithm is presented, improving the previous upper bound of O (n 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with two single facility location problems. The first problem is about the deterministic weighted (DW) 1-center of a deterministic tree network (DTN). The optimality criterion for the DW 1-center is minimizing the weighted distance to the furthest node from the facility. This problem has many applications in the emergency field since it gives satisfactory results for the customers sited at the furthest node of the DTN. The second problem is about the stochastic weighted (SW) 1-center of the stochastic tree network (STN). The criterion for optimality used in the SW 1-center is maximizing the minimum weighted reliability from the nodes of the STN to the facility. The applications of the SW 1-center problem appear in computer and communication fields. Two linear-time algorithms are presented for both problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We address the problem of modifying vertex weights of a block graph at minimum total cost so that a predetermined set of p connected vertices becomes a connected p-median on the perturbed block graph. This problem is the so-called inverse connected p-median problem on block graphs. We consider the problem on a block graph with uniform edge lengths under various cost functions, say rectilinear norm, Chebyshev norm, and bottleneck Hamming distance. To solve the problem, we first find an optimality criterion for a set that is a connected p-median. Based on this criterion, we can formulate the problem as a convex or quasiconvex univariate optimization problem. Finally, we develop combinatorial algorithms that solve the problems under the three cost functions in O (n log n) time, where n is the number of vertices in the underlying block graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discrete ordered median problem (DOMP) is formulated as a set-partitioning problem using an exponential number of variables. Each variable corresponds to a set of demand points allocated to the same facility with the information of the sorting position of their corresponding costs. We develop a column generation approach to solve the continuous relaxation of this model. Then we apply a branch-price-and-cut algorithm to solve small- to large-sized instances of DOMP in competitive computational time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of the Spanish automobile industry during the global economic crisis of 2008 shows that the number of relocations was comparatively lower than in the period before the crisis. Uncertainty weighs more in relocation decisions than the advantages that multinationals can gain from their operational flexibility. The main drivers of relocation in the sector are conditioned by relocation costs and the risks inherent in such processes. The main implication of the research is that it helps identify vulnerability in relocation under conditions of uncertainty. This is key for defining public policies aiming to avoid the impact of relocation on regions that have traditionally been affected by such processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]