Glossary & framework library

Central place theory

Urban Economics

Reference

A model explaining the size and spacing of settlements by the market areas needed to support goods and services; useful for retail catchment and site selection logic.

Related terms

  • Consumer price index (CPI)

    A measure of inflation tracking the price of a basket of consumer goods; leases and construction contracts are often indexed to CPI, and it drives real vs nomi…

  • Currency peg

    A fixed exchange rate holding a local currency against a reference currency, usually the US dollar; the GCC currencies are pegged, which gives Gulf real estate…

  • Demand forecasting

    Projecting future need for space from demographic and economic drivers.

  • Demographic dividend

    The growth boost an economy gets when a large share of its population is of working age; Egypt, Nigeria, and much of Sub-Saharan Africa are riding this, underp…

  • Density bonus

    Extra buildable floor area a developer is granted in exchange for delivering a public benefit such as affordable units or open space; a planning lever increasi…

  • Devaluation

    A deliberate reduction in a currency's official value; Egypt's repeated pound devaluations since 2016 repriced construction inputs overnight and shifted buyers…

  • Economic base

    The export-oriented industries that drive a city income and, in turn, its real estate demand.

  • Externality

    A cost or benefit from an activity that falls on third parties not involved in it; a new metro line's uplift to nearby land value, or congestion from a poorly…