Geographical location in the information age: from destiny to opportunity?

Abstract

This article argues for a possibly new significance of geographical location in the information age, a significance amounting to more than mere spatial anchoring, on the one hand, and to less and different than absolute destiny, on the other. Hence, we show a possible change in the significance of geographical location from destiny in the industrial age to potential opportunity in the information age, a transition which applies to geographical units (i.e. cities, regions) and to individuals. First we discuss geographical location as destiny in the industrial age for both geographical entities and individuals. Second, we highlight a transitional period spanning through the 1970s and 1980s during which geographical location lost much of its absolute nature, becoming more of an anchor. Third, we present a conceptual framework for geographical location possibly turning into opportunity in the information age, again for both geographical units and individuals. We demonstrate that this potential opportunity has only partially materialized by individuals in the international use of online shopping, showing that their adoption is wider in North America, and differentiated in Europe. We further demonstrate a partial dissemination of opportunities for cities and regions by focusing on FDI. Finally, in the fourth and concluding section, we briefly discuss pertaining policy issues for the enhancement of locational opportunities.

Mobility or mobilities: Terrestrial, virtual and aerial categories or entities?

“…The increased availability of diversified modes of mobility and their growing centrality in the lives of contemporary individuals have not yet yielded all their potential fruits, in terms of e-learning, e-commerce and various other applications (Kellerman and Paradiso, 2007). The increased varieties of mobility modes and their expanding use could have potentially called for better understandings among human beings as individuals, as well as among social groups, notably among nations.…”

Logistics: Situating flows in a spatial context

“…Recent changes of the logistics of retail have altered the picture again, particularly in regards to the Internet and E‐commerce (Couclelis, ; Currah, ; Kellerman & Paradiso, ). These changes have probably contributed to a fading away of urban retail from the main street and traditional mall; however, they triggered the rise of small‐scale consignments that disrupted local supply chains and rendered urban distribution dysfunctional and less profitable (Allen et al, ; Björklund & Johansson, ; Boyer, Prud'homme, & Chung, ; Heitz & Beziat, ).…”

Benchmarking the Quality of Geoweb: Information and Tacit Knowledge About Restaurants in Three Italian Cities

“…In particular, if information and communication technologies are attenuating the force of destiny towards opportunities for individuals and places (see Kellerman & Paradiso 2007 for a detailed discussion on the positive side of the coin; Lorentzon 1998, 2007), some applications and developers and market operations are concerned with how codes, practices in cyberspace shape our world negatively (Thrift & French 2002; Dodge & Kitchin 2005a, 2005b; Graham & Zook 2006).…”