6. Radical, Behavioral, Human, and Welfare Approaches

Case Study 1: Radical Geography and Social Justice – Housing Inequality in the United States

Principles of Radical Geography:

• Geography as a Tool for Social Change (Harvey, 1973) – Addressing spatial inequalities through activism.
• Marxist Theory and Economic Disparities (Peet, 1977) – Examining class struggles in geographic contexts.
• Critical Geopolitics and Power Structures (Agnew, 1998) – Influence of political ideologies on spatial organization.

Theorists Behind the Principles:

• David Harvey (1973) – Radical geography and urban inequality.
• Richard Peet (1977) – Marxist perspectives in geography.
• John Agnew (1998) – Critical geopolitics and spatial power dynamics.

Models/Theories/Laws:

• Spatial Inequality Model – Geographic distribution of wealth and poverty.
• Urban Gentrification Model – Displacement of low-income communities.
• Systems Analysis Approach – Evaluating economic disparities through spatial metrics.

Recent Data:

• United States: Housing affordability crisis affecting 40% of urban renters.
• Gentrification Trends: Displacement of marginalized communities in major cities.
• Satellite Observations: ESA confirms urban expansion patterns linked to economic segregation.

Spatial Variation:

• Inner Cities: High housing costs due to gentrification.
• Suburban Areas: Moderate affordability with mixed-income housing.

Temporal Variation:

• Historical Trends: Housing inequality increasing since 1980s.
• Future Projections: Expected rise in policy interventions for affordable housing.

Insight:

Radical geography validates social justice models, emphasizing the role of activism in addressing spatial inequalities.

Case Study 2: Behavioral Geography and Consumer Preferences – Retail Location Analysis in India

Principles of Behavioral Geography:

• Human Decision-Making and Spatial Preferences (Golledge, 1997) – Influence of cognitive processes on geographic choices.
• Perception and Mental Mapping (Tuan, 1977) – Psychological factors shaping spatial behavior.
• Economic Geography and Consumer Behavior (Pred, 1967) – Market dynamics influencing locational decisions.

Theorists Behind the Principles:

• Reginald Golledge (1997) – Behavioral geography and spatial cognition.
• Yi-Fu Tuan (1977) – Human perception and place attachment.
• Allan Pred (1967) – Economic geography and consumer behavior.

Models/Theories/Laws:

• Retail Location Model – Factors influencing store placement.
• Consumer Spatial Behavior Model – Decision-making in shopping preferences.
• Systems Analysis Approach – Evaluating behavioral trends through geographic metrics.

Recent Data:

• India: Retail sector growth driven by consumer spatial preferences.
• Shopping Trends: Increased footfall in mixed-use commercial zones.
• Satellite Observations: ISRO confirms urban retail clustering patterns.

Spatial Variation:

• Metropolitan Cities: High retail density due to consumer demand.
• Tier-2 Cities: Moderate expansion with emerging shopping districts.

Temporal Variation:

• Historical Trends: Behavioral geography influencing retail planning since 2000.
• Future Projections: Expected rise in AI-driven consumer analytics.

Insight:

Behavioral geography validates consumer preference models, emphasizing the role of spatial cognition in retail location analysis.