Space - Structure - Economy: A Tribute to August Lösch : Edited to mark the centenary of August Lösch's birthday, October 15, 2006

August Loesch (1906-1945) was one of the classic scholars of spatial economic theory. His most important work, The Spatial Order of the Economy - translated into English in 1954 under the slightly misleading title The Economics of Location - became internationally recognized as an important base for regional science. In order to mark the centenary of his birthday, nearly 30 international authors have contributed to this volume. From different perspectives, the contributors review Loesch's role as creator of the general theory of socio-economic development in space. Additionally, several of his contributions to other fields of economic research are critically evaluated. Various extensions of Loesch's concept of hexagonal market areas are presented, and new research results are considered, such as the relevance of different types of economic flows and flow routes for achieving a stable system of spatial structure. The book also reviews Loesch's theoretical approach from the perspective of the New Economic Geography, and discusses the effects of "catastrophic" dynamic forces, as induced, for example, by innovation. The final part of the book conveys a more personal view of August Loesch, in particular, his moral strength during the Third Reich, and on his relationship to his home town of Heidenheim an der Brenz in southwestern Germany.