Peter Cabus

The economics of rural areas in the proximity of urban networks: evidence from Flanders

Flanders is a densely populated, strongly urbanised region in Northwest Europe, but with still recognisable peri-urban rural territories. These territories have a distinct economic profile that is far from being marginal, but which has a diminishing role for agriculturally related economic activities. From a regionally-based economic approach, the authors argue that these rural areas act as flanking areas for the nearby urban areas, with mutual benefits. Therefore a model representing local economic development in these flanking rural territories can only be relevant if it takes into account this urban-rural partnership, in respect to the territorial identity and cultural features of both these types of areas. Copyright (c) 2003 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG.

Modelling spatial relationships between belgian car manufacturers and their suppliers using choremes

Models are useful instruments to understand and explain reality. The modeller is looking for a model that, at the same time, represents spatial organisation in the most efficient, the most reliable and the most powerful way. This can only be obtained, however, when the modeller has a precise conception of the processes at stake. The starting point of the choreme model as Brunet conceived it is precisely the formulation of explicit hypotheses about the spatial organisation of society. In these hypotheses, the principle of dominance plays a major role. The choreme model was used to represent the networked territory that is the result of corporate strategy behind the network enterprise between Belgian car manufacturers and their supplying industry. The eventual model reveals that besides the principle of dominance, to which the car manufacturers’ decision power has to be assigned, the historically acquired territorial know-how is the foundation of the geographical structure.