Robert L. Hodgart

Abstract

This paper is concerned with a common and apparently simple geographical question namely: 'how can we choose locations for a number of central facilites such .is clinics, public libraries, schools or recreation centres within a region so that the region's population as a whole enjoys the best possible access to the service?" This is usually called the 'central facility location problem' (CFLP). Subsidiary or related questions concern the optimal number of facilities and their size or capacity. The basic problem is therefore to optimize the spatial organisation of a service supplied in central facilities to which users or consumers must go or from which the service is delivered (as in the case of fire protection).

Robert L. Hodgart, Department of Geography. University of Edinburgh. Edinburgh. UK