Location Choice Research Articles

A novel data-driven approach for customizing destination choice set: A case study in the Netherlands

Modeling the destination choice has been of great interest for travel behavior community as well as policymakers in understanding the demand for land use and transportation infrastructures at aggregate and disaggregate levels and possibly devising policies to balance the demand and supplies. One of the challenges underlying predictions of location choice is the large choice set. While traditionally many methods had been devised to limit the choice set size either on a rather ad hoc basis or based on space–time prism by removing the locations out of reach of the subjects, the current study takes a substantially different approach and proposes a data-driven method to customize the generation of the choice set. The proposition is that observing the mobility patterns of citizens for multiple weeks would enable us to limit the choice set, depending on how far the subjects travel (beyond or within the distance they travel for their most frequent activities) to conduct their various activities. More precisely, using longitudinal trajectory data, we first classify people into two subgroups: returners and explorers, based on the size of the area (around their k most visited locations: k-radius of gyration) they move during the observation period. The destination choice set for four types of activities is then customized for returners (and explorers) and is used in a sequence of decisions represented by decision trees for the prediction of their destinations. The models for the whole sample and each subgroup separately are compared. The results suggest that the accuracy of destination prediction improves substantially for all four selected activity types, especially for the returners whose choice sets are formed based on their radius of gyration.

The shape of the landscape in the cinema of Matteo Garrone: A review article of Terra di mezzo (Land in Between)

In Matteo Garrone’s filmography, the choice of locations is always determined by a marked interest in physical reality, approached through an authorial perspective aimed at representing the coordinates of a complex system of human relations and the signs of the exercise of power, in its multiple declinations. In Terra di mezzo (1996) Garrone investigates the Pasolinian space of the Roman suburbs, now populated by Nigerian prostitutes and unemployed Albanians. The filmmaker’s gaze here traces fragments of existence in the forms of an excessive, unfinished and oppressive landscape. In this context, the acceleration towards indefiniteness takes on a clear allegorical value, explicitly referring to the condition of precarious impermanence experienced by the protagonists. This article intends to highlight the most significant characteristics of the authorial work on the forms of the natural and human landscape: their selection, the tendency to their allusive and paradigmatic over-signification, the presence, in them, of the lesson of the models.

An investigation of the factors underlying informal settlement growth: The case of Burayu City, Ethiopia

Informal settlements in developing countries’ cities are becoming more and more widespread. The city of Burayu is no exception to this trend. To address the challenges involved, it is important to understand the reasons for the prevalence and perseverance of informal settlement. However, there is a lack of institutional and actor perspectives to investigate the process and factors driving the growth of informal settlement in Burayu city. This study investigates the process and precipitating factors underlying the growth of informal settlements based on institutions, structure and agency and social non-compliance perspectives. Primary data for this study were gathered via key informant interviews, questionnaires, and observations. Secondary data were obtained from the empirical data. This study revealed that local informal institutions such as social networking play a crucial role in the growth process of informal settlement by fostering an informal written contract of sale. The study also identified rural-urban migration, speculation, locational choice, and lack of good governance as precipitating causes for the growth of informal settlement. In addition, actors use formal institutional loopholes to engage in informal buildings. Therefore, along with government structure ineffectiveness, the behavior of informal actors’ was also identified as an important, albeit often neglected, factor in the growth of informal settlements. Identifying the impact of various informal actors' behaviors on the proliferation of informal settlements is vital not only for improving relationships among actors but also for introducing relevant institutions to control informal actors to improve land governance.

Firms’ location decisions, supply chain disruptions and government subsidies: A dynamic game

This paper develops a dynamic game to study the interaction between firms’ production location decisions and a government subsidy policy. On the one hand, firms consider the cost of shielding their production capacity from (potential) supply chain disruptions. On the other hand, the government is interested in curbing production offshoring to increase domestic tax revenues. The location decision of each firm is affected by the government subsidy policy and the location choices of other firms, while the share of firms producing domestically influences the government’s decision on whether and to what extent to provide subsidies to firms. We show that government subsidy policy must target a sufficiently large number of firms to encourage production reshoring and achieve the Pareto-efficient equilibrium. However, a subsidy policy providing a high number of low subsidies is likely to be ineffective in increasing domestic production, highlighting the importance of careful fine-tuning of the policy. Finally, in some scenarios, industrial policy becomes crucial to increase the resilience of domestic supply chains and foster reshoring.

Influence of financial inclusion and industrial robots on the efficiency of China's OFDI: A heterogeneous spatial stochastic frontier analysis

Enhancing the efficacy of China's outward foreign direct investment (COFDI) constitutes a significant avenue for realizing the sustainable development of China's economy. This study analyzes panel data from 63 countries from 2010 to 2021 to create a heterogeneous spatial stochastic frontier model to examine how financial inclusion and industrial robotics in host nations affect COFDI efficiency. The findings are as follows. To begin with, COFDI manifests positive spatial spillover effects across countries. Moreover, from a spatial perspective, financial inclusion diminishes COFDI efficiency, whereas the interaction between financial inclusion and industrial robots increases its efficiency. Industrial robots, thus, counteract the diminishing impact of financial inclusion on COFDI efficiency. Additionally, concerning the heterogeneity of location choice and investment motivation in COFDI, the interaction between financial inclusion and industrial robots in developed economies augments COFDI efficiency as opposed to emerging market economies. Conversely, technology-seeking investment mitigates the adverse effects of financial inclusion on the efficacy of COFDI when juxtaposed with resource-seeking investment. This study provides theoretical insights and practical recommendations for improving the efficiency and guiding the destination selection of COFDI.

Shame Buffers and Spatial Risk-Mitigation: Exploring the effects of social stigma on the locational strategies of illicit massage businesses and their customers

Traditional locational analysis in urban retail/business geography begins with the assumption that customers will visit retail locations that are most convenient, and that businesses that locate close to their customers’ residences or workplaces would be preferred to locations farther from those places. This assumption is problematic when applied to economic activities for which social stigma exists. In this article, we examine the influence of social stigma on the locational choices made by customers of illicit massage businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas metropolitan area. We introduce the concept of shame buffers – zones around the places to which each customer is most deeply socially embedded, their home, workplace, and other community spaces, where the customer would not engage in stigmatized behaviors for fear of being observed and facing social shaming. We then examine the validity of the shame-buffer concept by analyzing customers' mobility patterns for both legal and illicit massage businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area (DFW metro).

Regional Logistics Capability and Foreign Direct Investment Location Choice of Multinational Corporations

Regional Logistics Capability and Foreign Direct Investment Location Choice of Multinational Corporations

Improved YOLOv5m model based on Swin Transformer, K-means++, and Efficient Intersection over Union (EIoU) loss function for cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) disease detection

The cocoa tree is prone to diverse diseases such as stem borer, stem canker, swollen shot, and root rot disease which impedes high yield. Early disease detection is a critical component of diverse management processes that are implemented throughout the life cycle of cocoa plants. Consequently, several studies on the application of detection techniques to recognize diseases have been proposed by several researchers. This study proposes the YOLOv5m network for cocoa tree disease detection. The development of cocoa disease detection systems will aid farmers in early identification prompt response, and efficient management of related cocoa tree diseases which will ultimately increase yield and sustainability. To improve the performance of the YOLOv5m network, a Swin Transformer (Swin-T) was added to the backbone network to improve cocoa tree disease detection accuracy. By obtaining global information, the K-means++ algorithm was added to modify the choice of initial clustering locations, and Efficient Intersection over Union Loss (EIoU) was used as a bounding box regression loss function to speed up the bounding box regression rate, resulting in higher precision of the YOLOv5m network. The experimental assessment outcome of this study showed that the proposed method YOLOv5m (Swin-T, K-means++, EIoU) achieved 96% precision, mAP of 92%, and recall of 94%. Compared to the original YOLOv5m, precision improved by 5%, mAP improved by 6%, and recall by 5%. Comparing the proposed method to the conventional YOLOv5m, the latter showed improved performance and better accuracy with a high detection speed and compactness. This improvement offers a useful and effective method for detecting diseases related to cocoa trees.

Assessing Key Factors Influencing Rental Housing Choices and Affordability for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): A Neighborhood Study in Delhi

The Economically Weaker Section (EWS) is constrained to live in slums and unauthorized colonies due to the lack of suitable housing options and affordability issues. Various factors such as building characteristics, financial constraints, and social considerations influence individuals' decisions regarding accommodation. A neighborhood in Delhi was chosen for a study to assess the importance of these factors for the EWS in rental housing. A total of 383 sample surveys were carried out to examine the socioeconomic variables and key factors influencing their choice of location, supplemented by 10 in-depth interviews to uncover hidden factors not typically found in existing literature. Principal Component Analysis was employed to identify the most crucial factors influencing accommodation choices. The study findings indicate that while the physical, locational, and economic aspects of rental housing are crucial, social factors also play a significant role. This research will offer invaluable insights to urban planners and policymakers to facilitate the provision of rental housing based on individual preferences in formulating housing policies.

Particle swarm optimization based on data driven for EV charging station siting

Charging stations are an important support facility for electric vehicles (EVs). Nowadays, the EV industry is developing rapidly, however, the imperfect construction of charging stations or the unreasonable choice of location has seriously reduced the desire of people to buy EVs and led to the problem of difficult charging of EVs in many areas. At present, the research field of EV charging station siting suffers from the inability to quickly and accurately calculate the optimal solution for charging station siting. In this regard, a particle swarm optimization based on deep neural networks modified boundaries (DNNMBPSO) is proposed for solving the problem. DNNMBPSO reduces the convergence value of the objective function by applying deep learning to modify the boundary of the particle swarm optimization. DNNMBPSO is an algorithm that combines heuristic and data driven. In this study, DNNMBPSO is applied for siting study in a system having 50 alternative points, 500 alternative points, and 1000 alternative points and a case of siting of electric vehicle charging stations in Nanning, Guangxi, China. The convergence value of the DNNMBPSO-based objective function is found to be at least 5.5 %, 1.7 %, 8.23 % and 14.7 %, lower compared to genetic algorithms, African vulture optimization algorithm, particle swarm optimization, and grey wolf optimization algorithms, respectively. Traditional heuristic optimization algorithms cannot find optimal solutions in large-scale systems, while DNNMBPSO shows feasibility in large-scale systems.

Foreign-origin managers and FDI location choice

AbstractBuilding upon the upper echelons theory of organizations as applied to internationalization strategies, we investigate the impact of foreign-origin top management team (TMT) members on their companies’ location choice. We propose that a manager-from-target effect may exist, by which a manager’s knowledge of their country of origin increases the likelihood of choosing that country as a target. We expect it to be stronger for acquisitions than for greenfield investments, the inputs of foreign-origin managers being more relevant in the first case. Based on a large sample of foreign direct investment from 2013 to 2019, and using name analysis to identify TMT members’ origins, we find that the effect is present in both establishment modes but larger and more robust for acquisitions. It is also larger in companies with less diverse TMTs, for which targeting one manager’s country of origin instead of others’ may be less likely to cause conflict. Future research should explore whether investments in locations suggested by managers from the target country outperform others. If this is the case, it implies that recruiting foreign-origin top managers can improve a company’s internationalization strategy via better location choices.

Strategic placement of volunteer responder system defibrillators.

Volunteer responder systems (VRS) alert and guide nearby lay rescuers towards the location of an emergency. An application of such a system is to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, where early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED) are crucial for improving survival rates. However, many AEDs remain underutilized due to poor location choices, while other areas lack adequate AED coverage. In this paper, we present a comprehensive data-driven algorithmic approach to optimize deployment of (additional) public-access AEDs to be used in a VRS. Alongside a binary integer programming (BIP) formulation, we consider two heuristic methods, namely Greedy and Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP), to solve the gradual Maximal Covering Location (MCLP) problem with partial coverage for AED deployment. We develop realistic gradually decreasing coverage functions for volunteers going on foot, by bike, or by car. A spatial probability distribution of cardiac arrest is estimated using kernel density estimation to be used as input for the models and to evaluate the solutions. We apply our approach to 29 real-world instances (municipalities) in the Netherlands. We show that GRASP can obtain near-optimal solutions for large problem instances in significantly less time than the exact method. The results indicate that relocating existing AEDs improves the weighted average coverage from 36% to 49% across all municipalities, with relative improvements ranging from 1% to 175%. For most municipalities, strategically placing 5 to 10 additional AEDs can already provide substantial improvements.

Rural clinical placements in clinical education: impact on rural practice interest in Canada: a scoping review.

Statistics Canada defines rural areas as towns or municipalities outside the commuting zone of larger urban centres.(1) Clinical students included are students in the nursing and medical field at all levels of education. There is an inequitable distribution of healthcare professionals in Canada.(2) Research has shown that 8% of physicians practice in rural areas, whereas 19% of Canadians live in rural areas. (3, 4) This trend has raised concerns about inequitable access to healthcare practitioners in rural regions. Despite concerns raised, there is a lack of comprehensive research investigating incentives for nursing and medical students to stay and practice in rural settings. Furthermore, much of the research that investigates healthcare student settlement in rural areas is outdated, and given the COVID-19 pandemic, many intentions have changed. Objective This scoping review seeks to explore the influence of rural clinical placements on the choice of practice locations among nursing and medical students in Canada. The aim is to address the critical gap in healthcare provision in rural areas by assessing whether experiential learning in these settings encourages graduates to pursue careers in similarly underserved areas. In studying the effectiveness of clinical placements on self-reported interest, methods of improving long-term outcomes for primary healthcare staffing in rural areas can be evaluated and applied to current training. The goal is to address disparities in healthcare accessibility and gain an understanding of policy development and educational practices. Design A scoping review Methodology The review will synthesise available qualitative and quantitative literature in English language spanning from 1970 to the present to ascertain the relationship between rural clinical placements during educational training and the subsequent selection of rural practice settings. Publications will be sourced from scientific databases such as CINAHL and Ebscohost. Grey literature will also be included, and journal citations will be searched. Screening will be carried out by two independent reviewers, and all disputes will be settled by a third reviewer.

Determinants of Intra-City Residential Migration Patterns of Older Adults: A GIS and Decision Tree Analysis of Yancheng City, China

This study investigates the spatial patterns of residential migration among older adults in the city center of Yancheng and the influencing factors using data on the home purchases of individuals aged 65 and older from 2016 to 2018, along with peripheral point of interest (POI) data, analyzed with ArcGIS and a decision tree model. The results indicated that persons aged 60–65 accounted for 42.8% of the total sample and primarily chose to migrate in the early stages of retirement. The intra-city migration of older adults exhibits both centripetal and centrifugal patterns, with a greater tendency toward the city center. House prices, floor levels, and commercial facilities significantly impact their choice of migration destinations. Among these, house prices were the most critical determinant, with the majority of older adults migrating to neighborhoods with lower house prices. This study contributes by integrating residential migration and location choice research and constructing an analytical framework based on facility accessibility. The findings provide insights into the key determinants of location choice for intra-city residential migration among older adults and the construction of livable neighborhoods for them.

A Lucas island model to analyse labour movement choice between cities based on personal characteristics

The labour movement has been a key factor for cities’ development and caused regional inequality between cities. Although empirical studies have been conducted to investigate it, little theoretical evidence has been provided to find out the underlying mechanism. This paper describes and derives a Lucas-Prescott style island model to study the location choices of the heterogeneous agents by utilising endogenous technology growth, which in turn influences personal human capital growth. It leads to the U-shape curve of the inequality of wage income with the technology of these islands but not in terms of total income. In the extended two-goods model, the magnitude of the implications is increased by the impact of non-tradable goods price. Together with empirical research using the US census data, this paper finds that skilled labours with less endowed wealth tend to live in large cities for its high salary. On the other hand, those less-skilled but with more endowed wealth tend to live in cities with better environment, which drives up the price level of non-tradable goods in these cities. This explains the population concentration in the super cities and the high housing price-wage ratio in some beautiful cities, which provides theoretical basement for further empirical studies about labour movement in other cities

How to establish a new medical school? A scoping review of the key considerations.

Establishing new medical schools in medically under-served regions is suggested as part of the solution to the problem of doctor shortages and maldistributions. Establishing a new medical school is, however, a complex undertaking with high financial and political stakes. Critically, the evidence-base for this significant activity has not previously been elucidated. This paper presents the first scoping review on this vitally important, yet under-researched aspect of medical education and health workforce planning. To better understand the process of new medical school establishment, this review posed two research questions: (1) What is the nature of the available literature on establishing a new medical school?; (2) What are the key factors to be considered when establishing a new medical school? Five databases and grey literature were searched in 2015 and 2021 for English-language articles, using search terms related to new medical schools and their establishment. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were based on relevance and suitability in answering the research questions. Seventy-eight articles were analysed both structurally and thematically to understand the nature of the literature and the key considerations involved. Structurally, most articles were descriptive pieces outlining personal and institutional experiences and did not make use of research methodologies nor theory. Thematically, thirteen key considerations were identified including reasons for establishment; location choices; leadership and governance; costs and funding; partnerships; staffing; student numbers; student recruitment; curriculum design and implementation; clinical training sites; buildings and facilities; information and technology resources; and accreditation. Significant gaps in the literature included how to obtain the initial permission from governing authorities and the personal costs and burnout experienced by founding leaders and staff. Although, the literature on new medical school establishment is empirically and theoretically under-developed, it is still useful and reveals a number of important considerations that could assist founding leaders and teams to maximise the outcomes and impact of their establishment efforts. Critically, the evidence-base underpinning this complex undertaking needs to be better informed by theory and research.

Optimal location to land banking practices in urban-rural informal land market continuum of Ghana

Land banking practices in complex informal land markets are growing in developing countries. However, the land banking (LB) literature predominantly focuses on publicly driven land banks operating within formal land markets. Against this backdrop, this study investigates optimal locations for LB projects in Ghana's complex informal land markets from the perspective of private and semi-public real estate developers. Utilising a two-stage research process, first, the study developed a conceptual framework by using: (1) suppositions regarding space under economic geography; and (2) theoretical suppositions on the use of LB and its influence on LB locational choices uncovered from an interpretive hermeneutic literature review. The second stage focused on an empirical assessment of the conceptual framework by taking four urbanised regions in Ghana. The case study stage uses primary data from 30 interviewees selected using purposive and snowball sampling, while secondary data comprised land bank inventories from the regional Lands Commissions of the case study regions. Results revealed land title security as the primary factor determining optimal locations for land banks. There are significant challenges related to land title security in urban and inner parts of peri-urban areas. These challenges are aggravating the transformation of agricultural lands into residential lands in developers' preferred land bank locations. Based on the ongoing land transformation occurrences, the study underscores the need for policy responses that enhance title security to encourage developers to diversify their land banking locational preferences beyond solely greenfield sites to a mix of green and urban brownfield sites.

Performance of tuna fisheries in the sea of Sikka Regency

Abstract The high potential tuna fisheries in Sikka Seas produce high pressure as well. The research objective was to determine the performance of tuna fisheries in managing and utilizing sustainable tuna. The research was conducted for 3 months from December to March 2023 with research locations in Alok, West Alok, East Alok and Talibura Sub-district of Sikka Regency. The choice of research location decided by concentrated area for tuna fisheries. This research used primary and secondary data. Interviewed with 131 tuna fishermen showed the diversity of tuna fisheries in Sikka Regency including the characteristics of fishermen (age, education, number of family, marital status, side job, fishing business experience); targeted catch; vessel; fishing gear and fishing aids device; hauling time; fishing season; fishing grounds; fishing techniques; handling fish on board; and tuna processing company description.

Risk factors for patients with tracheal stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To systematically evaluate potential risk factors for tracheal stenosis and to provide a reference for the prevention and management of patients with this condition. Databases were searched to identify studies of the risk factors for tracheal stenosis, from their inception to October 2023, then a meta-analysis was performed. The study was registered with PROSPERO under the registration number CRD42023428906. Ten studies of a total of 2525 patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that tracheotomy, diabetes, the duration of intubation, the duration of mechanical ventilation, respiratory tract infection, a high incision, and a ratio of intratracheal tube cuff diameter (C)/transverse diameter at the level of the clavicle (T) >150% were risk factors for the development of tracheal stenosis. Measures such as shortening the duration of mechanical ventilation and intubation, reducing and avoiding tracheotomy after prolonged intubation, early tracheotomy in patients with obesity who require prolonged mechanical ventilation, appropriate choices of incision location and catheter, the maintenance of appropriate C/T, the prevention of respiratory infection, and the control of diabetes mellitus should limit the risk of tracheal stenosis.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Pregnant Women towards Bankjo Lamp Technology: Case Study of Choosing a Birth Place

Background: A high-risk pregnancy jeopardizes both maternal and fetal lives. Despite recommendations for hospital births, six out of ten high-risk expectant mothers in Kawedanan opt for PMB or Community Health Center Maternity. To identify high-risk pregnancies, Kawedanan Community Health Center employs the innovative Bankjo lamp. This study investigates how pregnant women's attitudes and knowledge about Bankjo lamps influence their maternity location choice. Methods: This type of research uses quantitative descriptive research. This observational analytical research involved 57 expectant mothers due to maternity in January, February, or March. Using a cross-sectional design, the study treated knowledge and attitudes about Bankjo lamps as independent variables, with maternity location preference as the dependent variable. Data collection methods included knowledge and attitude questionnaires and monthly midwife reports. The data was analyzed using the Chi-Square test and descriptive statistics in the form of frequency distribution with presentation. Results: Findings indicate that pregnant women generally possess adequate knowledge about suitable maternity locations, with some showing insufficient understanding. A significant correlation (p = 0.013) exists between knowledge levels and preferred birthplace. Despite the preference for hospital births among nearly all expectant mothers, a majority hold negative attitudes, strongly correlated (p = 0.000) with their birthplace choices. Interestingly, while most pregnant women understand the Bankjo lamp innovation well, they harbor negative attitudes toward it. Nevertheless, almost all opt for hospital births, prioritizing medical safety despite reservations about new technologies. Conclusions: The study underscores the need for government support in advancing maternal health initiatives, including innovative technologies like Bankjo lamps. Enhancing awareness and promoting positive attitudes among expectant mothers can foster safer childbirth practices. By disseminating knowledge and addressing misconceptions, healthcare providers can better support high-risk pregnancies, ensuring better outcomes for both mothers and babies.