location triangle

The "location triangle" is a concept in economic geography that seeks to determine the optimal location for production. Developed by Alfred Weber, this theory analyzes the costs of transporting raw materials from two sources and the finished product to a market, forming a geographical triangle. The goal is to find the site within this triangle that minimizes total transportation expenses. Factors like the weight of materials and the final product influence this decision; if production significantly reduces weight, locating near raw materials is often cheaper. Conversely, if weight remains constant, proximity to the market may be more cost-effective. Weber's theory also considered labor costs as a secondary factor in site selection.1