Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 10:22:31 -0800 (PST) From: "H. Jones" To: econgeog@u.washington.edu Cc: krumme@u.washington.edu Subject: Weekly submission; add to collaboration page "Land and Location" For churches location is a primary factor. Property used for religious purposes futhers the religious mission and self definition of the church in numerous ways. Since group worship or sacred devotion is central to most religious traditions many property decisions are centered on worship and devotional uses and the type and location of the these facilities. Within the location realm pastoral goals, existing membership, and out reach efforts all are important factors. To put this church location analysis into a theoretical perspective one can examine the bid-rent curve. According to the Human Geography Dictionary, this curve indicates how much a persons or business is prepared to pay for a unit of land at varying distances from the city center and the trade-offs of cheaper land rents. The bid-rent curve also represents a series of rents to which the person is indifferent, meaning equal satisfaction at any point on the curve. If a church targeted population is located downtown more than likely the church will locate their facility downtown. But before locating in the city center the church has to answer many questions. For example, can we afford to buy or rent on land in the metropolitan area? If we can't afford it will locating on the the periphery, where cheaper land is cause a loss in perspective membership? In this example the bid-rent curve is in action. The goal is to be equally satisfied at any point on the curve. In the bid-rent curve model the trade off for a business is transport cost. Many businesses with a market in the city center will locate on the periphery to avoid high land prices. In this process transport costs are substituted for cheap land. When businesses substitute is this manner equal satisfaction at any point on the curve is not neglected. This same substitution process takes place when churches decide on a location. Equal satisfaction at any point on the curve is the goal. Churches may substitute closeness to targeted population for cheaper land to build and rent on. The end result is location whether it be churches, businesses or households depends on trade offs and substitutions that inner-connect with models and theories of land value, spatial structure, and human behavior just to name a few.