Edward Elgar Publishing Environment, Place, and Growth: City Characteristics and Location Choice

This innovative book explores how the location of a city affects its growth. Boris A. Portnov discusses how an urban location can be understood as a package of attributes in which several essential components must be present to ensure successful development. The author defines the collection of key attributes, including varying geographical elements and environmental characteristics, as a ‘location package’ (LP) and details how the synergy of the LP of a city can make it an ideal place to live. He outlines the qualities that are considered essential for an urban location, such as favourable climate, distance from environmental hazards, attractive scenery and limited long distance commuting. The chapters delve into detailed case studies that assess the LP of major cities of the world, including New York, Tokyo, and Istanbul. The book also examines the locational attributes of cities of the past that are associated with their survival in the modern day, such as proximity to freshwater sources, protected areas, and fertile agricultural land. Students and scholars of urban geography, population studies, and regional studies will greatly benefit from this discerning book. It is also an essential resource for practitioners and policymakers in urban and regional planning.