Conceptualizing Location Efficiency: A Narrative Review and Scale-Based Consolidated Definition

Abstract

The concept of location efficiency is used in academic and gray literature relating to urban form, household location, and associated transportation costs. This paper analyzes the history of this usage of location efficiency and how it evolved into divergent constructs; it then defines three concepts distinguished by scale—household, neighborhood, and municipal location efficiency. These related yet distinct concepts provide clarity use of the term in existing literature and provide a conceptual framework for those looking to employ the concept of location efficiency at every level of research and analysis in academia, applied planning, and municipal policy.