Click here. The economy and the logic of urban planning for product availability. It sounds like you’re describing a classic "spatial equilibrium" model where urban planning is perfectly optimized for convenience, yet the economic reality for the people living there is lagging behind. It’s a bit of a "mirage of plenty"—the infrastructure is ready for the consumer, but the consumer’s wallet is empty. Click here. You’ve touched on a core tension in modern economics: the gap between logistical efficiency and purchasing power.
Click here. The economy and the logic of urban planning for product availability. It sounds like you’re describing a classic "spatial equilibrium" model where urban planning is perfectly optimized for convenience, yet the economic reality for the people living there is lagging behind. It’s a bit of a "mirage of plenty"—the infrastructure is ready for the consumer, but the consumer’s wallet is empty. Click here. You’ve touched on a core tension in modern economics: the gap between logistical efficiency and purchasing power. The Logic of the 10km Grid In urban planning, this spacing is often driven by Central Place Theory. Retailers use heat maps and demographic data to ensure they are close enough to capture a specific "catchment area" without cannibalizing their own nearby stores. * Fast Food/Drug Stores: These are "high-frequency, low-margin" businesses. They need to be exactly where people live and work because nobody wants to drive 30 ...