Economic geography

Prof. Michael Sofer | Dr. Orit Rotem

The field of economic geography is one of the cornerstones of human geography. The focus of this field is on the consideration of economic and social processes that affect the economic space. Traditionally it is the study of the location, distribution and spatial organization of economic activities across the space. Yet, in recent years the debate over economic geographic consideration has shifted from discussion of statistical laws, spatial distribution and location of industries, to discuss the mechanisms and processes underlying the spatial inequality affecting the rural, urban, regional and international space. In practice the discussion of the characteristics of production shifted to a discussion of the production processes in the current capitalist era, explanations and responses to crises by households, entrepreneurs, and the state under changing survival strategies.

Central themes of the current discussion are: the changing pattern of capital accumulation; the flexible spatial reorganization of production processes; the agglomeration of economic activities; the globalization of economic activities and decision making; the transformation processes in the urban and rural spaces; the evolving new industrial spaces; the impact of information technology on the perception of the economic space; and environmental issues and their impact on economic decisions.