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The spatial study of human endeavour -wheter that be economic, political or social and conducted on the urban, regional or global systematic planehas entered an exciting period of invigoured debate, searching enquiry and re-evaluation. Geographical interest and involvement in policy-formulation for improving the quality and the spatial pattern of the living and working environment is not at all new. Yet now that interest must readjust to the scale and complexity of problems of transnational or international concern like spatial policy within the E.E.C. or the activities of multinational corporations, and to the conceptual, methodological and practical problems engendered by increased state intervention and the potentiallyor actuallyattendant transition from capitalist to socialist organization of society. Parallel with the need for change on the applied side of spatial sciences is the demand for the reappraisal of theory, concepts and techniques. A tardy process of scientific modernization gradually replaced descriptive analysis, for instance in economic geography by neo-classical economic theories : these were supported by techniques of spatial analysis of association and of functional distance after the Second World War. While quantitative techniques proved valuable in measuring pattern, limitations became evident in their utility for analyzing process and this spawned behavioural studies of decision-makers. Recently neo-classical economic theory, quantitative analysis and behavioural studies have come under increasing attack with the call for a more dialectic approach to spatial study l. It is against such a fluid situation that the content of this paper should be viewed.

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