A theoretical framework for a ‘spatially conscious’ economic analysis of environmental issues C. Patrick Heidkamp Department of Geography, University of Connecticut, 215 Glenbrook Road, Unit 4148, Storrs, CT 06269-4148, United States Received 3 August 2005; received in revised form 11 December 2006 Abstract This paper proposes a theoretical framework for the integration of economic aspects and environmental aspects into the decision- making process for sustainable development strategies. The aim is integrate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and environmental valuation methods in the structure of a cost–benefit analysis (CBA) in order to better evaluate spatial concerns. The conceptual approach is augmented by a modest case study of a marina development in Santa Rosaliita on the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. This mar- ina project is part of the proposed ‘Escalera Nautica’ an ambitious regional development scheme, which has caused controversy concern- ing its social, economic and environmental implications. The paper outlines the necessity to develop spatially conscious methodologies for a policy relevant research regarding sustainable regional development. Additionally, the paper contributes a spatial analytic perspec- tive based on normative economic principles to the recent discussion on environmental economic geography. Ó 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Keywords: Economic geography; Environment; Cost–benefit analysis; Geographic information; Systems; Regional economic development; Mexico ‘‘Environmental economists usually pay little atten- tion to inherently spatial aspects of much of their work’’. (Brainard et al., 1999, p. 227) 1. Introduction 1.1. Economic geography and the environment Environmental economic geography as a subfield of eco- nomic geography has recently been a point of discussion with respect to its current status and its future promise. In this discussion it is lamented that economic geography – in spite of geography’s inherently interdisciplinary focus and long research tradition of human–environment-rela- tions – has until recently largely ignored the environment beyond its treatment as a more or less passive location condition or resource factor input (Angel, 2000; Braun, 2002; Hayter, 2004; Soyez, 2002a,b; Soyez and Schulz, 2002; Wallace, 2002). The situation is troubling, especially given the continuing debate on environmental sustainabil- ity. Related disciplines (e.g. economics, sociology) have addressed questions that deal with the consequences of eco- nomic activities and other environmental issues but such research has been surprisingly rare in economic geography (Gibbs, 2006; Angel, 2000; Bridge, 2002; Gibbs and Healy, 1997). The exception is research directly related to agricul- ture and/or forestry and land use change which is clearly rooted in economic geography (e.g., Munroe and York, 2003; Bastian et al., 2002). 1 Most of the discussion regarding the contribution eco- nomic geography as a sub-discipline can or should make to environmental issues has focused on the sub-discipline’s lack of a coherent focus. Economic geography, it is argued, 0016-7185/$ - see front matter Ó 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2007.01.010 E-mail address: christian.heidkamp@uconn.edu 1 See also Page (2000) who discusses the gap between agricultural and economic geography. www.elsevier.com/locate/geoforum Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Geoforum 39 (2008) 62–75