Spatial Logistics in the System of Human Geography: Theoretical Foundations

Authors

  • Mustafa Mafratoglu Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52575/2712-7443-2026-50-3-707-720

Keywords:

spatial logistics, transport geography, human geography, territorial organization, infrastructure connectivity, access regimes, transport-logistics systems, spatial-logistical analysis

Abstract

The spatial organization of logistical flows becomes especially significant as transport networks, corridors, nodes, and regimes of infrastructural connectivity grow more complex. Although transport geography, territorial logistics, studies of transport-logistics systems and transport-logistics space, international transport corridors, and classical logistics all address related issues, the logistical dimension of flows remains conceptually dispersed across several research traditions. The aim of the study is to substantiate spatial logistics as a distinct research direction within transport geography and human geography, to clarify its conceptual boundaries, and to distinguish it from classical logistics. The article is based on comparative conceptual analysis, theoretical reconstruction, and disciplinary interpretation. The study shows that spatial logistics should not be regarded as a new independent discipline or as an extended version of applied logistics, but rather as an emerging subdiscipline within transport geography that acquires broader human-geographical significance through the study of territorially organized flows, differences in access, infrastructural inclusion, and spatial asymmetry. The distinction between classical and spatial logistics is defined not by the mere presence of space in the analysis, but by the analytical status assigned to it. In classical logistics, space most often functions as a parameter of operational efficiency, location, routing, and coordination. In spatial-logistical analysis, it becomes a structure of access, connectivity, infrastructural selectivity, and territorial consequences. The main result of the study is the substantiation of a minimal analytical threshold for identifying spatial-logistical analysis. This threshold includes four interrelated features: flow attachment to a specific network, route, node, or corridor; infrastructural conditioning; access regime; and territorial effect. The proposed framework makes it possible to distinguish spatial-logistical analysis from operational delivery analysis, morphological description of transport networks, and general analysis of territorial organization. It also provides a theoretical basis for further specification of spatial-logistical analysis in relation to extended infrastructure systems.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Mustafa Mafratoglu, Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia

postgraduate student, Department of Economic Geography,
E-mail: m.mafratoglu@gmail.com
St. Petersburg, Russia

References

Список источников

Вардомский Л.Б., Тураева М.О. 2018. Развитие транспортных коридоров постсоветского пространства в условиях современных геополитических и экономических вызовов: научный доклад. Москва, Институт экономики Российской академии наук, 66 с.

World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography. 2009. Washington, DC, World Bank, 383 p. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-7607-2.

Список литературы

Бакланов П.Я. 2013. Подходы и основные принципы структуризации географического пространства. Известия Российской академии наук. Серия географическая, 5: 7–18.

Бакланов П.Я. 2017. Территориальные социально-экономические системы в региональном развитии. Известия Российской академии наук. Серия географическая, 4: 7–16. https://doi.org/10.7868/S0373244417040016.

Бакланов П.Я. 2019. Территориальная организация и пространственное развитие: соотношение понятий и процессов. В кн.: Геосистемы восточных районов России: особенности их структур и пространственного развития. Владивосток, Дальнаука: 10–16. https://doi.org/10.35735/tig.2019.32.61.001.

Бугроменко В.Н. 2010. Современная география транспорта и транспортная доступность. Известия Российской академии наук. Серия географическая, 4: 7–16.

Гладкий Ю.Н. 2014. Гуманитарная география: понятийный статус и институционализация. Гуманитарный вектор, 2(38): 158–164.

Гладкий Ю.Н. 2016. Гуманитарная география как научное знание. М.; Берлин, Директ-Медиа, 544 с.

Дружинин А.Г. 2022. Развитие российской общественной географии: современные вызовы и опыт прошлого. Географический вестник, 2(61): 17–33. https://doi.org/10.17072/2079-7877-2022-2-17-33.

Зубаревич Н.В. 2017. Развитие российского пространства: барьеры и возможности региональной политики. Мир новой экономики, 2: 46–57.

Конькова Е.Д. 2012. Территориальная логистика как область логистических исследований в экономике торговли. Вестник Южно-Уральского государственного университета. Серия: Экономика и менеджмент, 44(303): 187–190.

Нефедова Н.Е. 2015. Современные трансформации предметной области географии транспорта. Актуальные проблемы гуманитарных и естественных наук, 12–8: 17–20.

Родоман Б.Б. 1999. Территориальные ареалы и сети: очерки теоретической географии. Смоленск, Ойкумена, 256 с.

Сидоров В.П. 2011. Возможность применения логистики в географии транспорта. Вестник Удмуртского университета. Серия Биология. Науки о Земле, 6–2: 139–141.

Сидоров В.П. 2012. Проблемы отечественной географии транспорта. Вестник Удмуртского университета. Серия Биология. Науки о Земле, 4: 149–151.

Тархов С.А. 2005. Эволюционная морфология транспортных сетей. Смоленск; М., Универсум, 382 с.

Тархов С.А. 2022. Транспортная освоенность территории и пространственная структура транспортных сетей регионов Азиатской России. В кн.: Вопросы географии. М., Медиа-Пресс: 325–360.

Ханна П. 2019. Коннектография: будущее глобальной цивилизации. Пер. с англ. Э. Кондуковой. М., Манн, Иванов и Фербер, 427 с.

Хирофуми А. 2024. Транспортно-логистическое пространство в бассейне Японского моря. Международное сотрудничество евразийских государств: политика, экономика, право, 1: 48–52.

Шарыгин М.Д. 2017. Общественная география в России: тернистый путь развития. Географический вестник, 2(41): 17–25. https://doi.org/10.17072/2079-7877-2017-2-17-25.

Aoyama Y., Ratick S., Schwarz G. 2006. Organizational Dynamics of the U.S. Logistics Industry: An Economic Geography Perspective. The Professional Geographer, 58(3): 327–340. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9272.2006.00571.x.

Christopher M. 2023. Logistics and Supply Chain Management. 6th ed. Harlow, Pearson, 360 p.

Coe N.M. 2020. Logistical geographies. Geography Compass, 14(10): e12506. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12506.

Graham S., Marvin S. 2001. Splintering Urbanism: Networked Infrastructures, Technological Mobilities and the Urban Condition. London; New York, Routledge, 512 p. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203452202.

He M., Shen J., Wu X., Luo J. 2018. Logistics Space: A Literature Review from the Sustainability Perspective. Sustainability, 10(8): 2815. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082815.

Hesse M. 2020. Logistics: Situating Flows in a Spatial Context. Geography Compass, 14(7): e12492. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12492.

Hesse M., Rodrigue J.-P. 2004. The Transport Geography of Logistics and Freight Distribution. Journal of Transport Geography, 12(3): 171–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2003.12.004.

Keeling D.J. 2007. Transportation Geography: New Directions on Well-Worn Trails. Progress in Human Geography, 31(2): 217–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132507075370.

Larkin B. 2013. The Politics and Poetics of Infrastructure. Annual Review of Anthropology, 42(1): 327–343. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-092412-155522.

Rodrigue J.-P. 2012. The Geography of Global Supply Chains: Evidence from Third-Party Logistics. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 48(3): 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-493X.2012.03268.x.

Rodrigue J.-P. 2024. The Geography of Transport Systems. New York, Routledge, 402 p. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003343196.

References

Baklanov P.Ya. 2013. Approaches and General Principles of Structurization of Geographical Space. Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Seriya Geograficheskaya, 5: 7–18 (in Russian).

Baklanov P.Ya. 2017. Territorial Socioeconomic Systems in Regional Development. Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Seriya Geograficheskaya, 4: 7–16 (in Russian). https://doi.org/10.7868/S0373244417040016.

Baklanov P.Ya. 2019. Territorial Organization and Spatial Development: Concepts and Processe. In: Geosystems of the Eastern Regions of Russia: Features of Their Structures and Spatial Development. Vladivostok, Pabl. Dal’nauka: 10–16 (in Russian). https://doi.org/10.35735/tig.2019.32.61.001.

Bugromenko V.N. 2010. Modern Geography of Transport and Transport Accessibility. Izvestiya Rossiyskoy Akademii Nauk. Seriya Geograficheskaya, 4: 7–16 (in Russian).

Gladkiy Yu.N. 2014. Humanitarian Geography: Conceptual Status and Institutionalization. Humanitarian Vector, 2(38): 158–164 (in Russian).

Gladkiy Yu.N. 2016. Gumanitarnaya geografiya kak nauchnoye znaniye [Humanitarian Geography as Scientific Knowledge]. Moscow; Berlin, Pabl. Direkt-Media, 544 p.

Druzhinin A.G. 2022. The Development of Russian Human Geography: Current Challenges and Past Experience. Geographical Bulletin, 2(61): 17–33 (in Russian). https://doi.org/10.17072/2079-7877-2022-2-17-33.

Zubarevich N.V. 2017. Development of the Russian Space: Barriers and Opportunities for Regional Policy. The world of new economy, 2: 46–57 (in Russian).

Konkova E.D. 2012. Territorial Logistics as an Area of Research in Trade Economy. Bulletin of South Ural State University, Series “Economics and Management”, 44(303): 187–190 (in Russian).

Nefedova N.E. 2015. Sovremennyye transformatsii predmetnoy oblasti geografii transporta [Modern Transformations of the Subject Field of Transport Geography]. Aktual’nyye problemy gumanitarnykh i estestvennykh nauk, 12–8: 17–20.

Rodoman B.B. 1999. Areas and Networks. Essays of Theoretical Geography. Smolensk, Pabl. Oykumena, 256 p. (in Russian).

Sidorov V.P. 2011. The Possibility of Applying Logistics in the Geography Transport. Bulletin of Udmurt University. Series Biology. Earth Sciences, 6–2: 139–141 (in Russian).

Sidorov V.P. 2012. The Problems of Domestic Geography of Transport. Bulletin of Udmurt University. Series Biology. Earth Sciences, 4: 149–151 (in Russian).

Tarkhov S.A. 2005. Evolyutsionnaya morfologiya transportnykh setey [Evolutionary Morphology of Transport Networks]. Smolensk; Moscow, Pabl. Universum, 382 p.

Tarkhov S.A. 2022. Transportnaya osvoyennost’ territorii i prostranstvennaya struktura transportnykh setey regionov Aziatskoy Rossii [Transport Development of Territory and Spatial Structure of Transport Networks in the Regions of Asian Russia]. In: Voprosy geografii [Questions of Geography]. Moscow, Pabl. Media-Press: 325–360.

Khanna P. 2019. Konnektografiya: budushcheye global’noy tsivilizatsii [Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization]. Ed. by E. Kondukova. Moscow, Pabl. Mann, Ivanov i Ferber, 427 p.

Hirofumi A. 2024. A Transport and Logistic Space in the Basin of the Sea of Japan. International Cooperation of Eurasian States: politics, economics, law, 1: 48–52 (in Russian).

Sharygin M.D. 2017. Social Geography in Russia: the Thorny Path of Development. Geographical Bulletin, 2(41): 17–25 (in Russian). https://doi.org/10.17072/2079-7877-2017-2-17-25.

Aoyama Y., Ratick S., Schwarz G. 2006. Organizational Dynamics of the U.S. Logistics Industry: An Economic Geography Perspective. The Professional Geographer, 58(3): 327–340. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9272.2006.00571.x.

Christopher M. 2023. Logistics and Supply Chain Management. 6th ed. Harlow, Pearson, 360 p.

Coe N.M. 2020. Logistical geographies. Geography Compass, 14(10): e12506. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12506.

Graham S., Marvin S. 2001. Splintering Urbanism: Networked Infrastructures, Technological Mobilities and the Urban Condition. London; New York, Routledge, 512 p. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203452202.

He M., Shen J., Wu X., Luo J. 2018. Logistics Space: A Literature Review from the Sustainability Perspective. Sustainability, 10(8): 2815. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082815.

Hesse M. 2020. Logistics: Situating Flows in a Spatial Context. Geography Compass, 14(7): e12492. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12492.

Hesse M., Rodrigue J.-P. 2004. The Transport Geography of Logistics and Freight Distribution. Journal of Transport Geography, 12(3): 171–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2003.12.004.

Keeling D.J. 2007. Transportation Geography: New Directions on Well-Worn Trails. Progress in Human Geography, 31(2): 217–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132507075370.

Larkin B. 2013. The Politics and Poetics of Infrastructure. Annual Review of Anthropology, 42(1): 327–343. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-092412-155522.

Rodrigue J.-P. 2012. The Geography of Global Supply Chains: Evidence from Third-Party Logistics. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 48(3): 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-493X.2012.03268.x.

Rodrigue J.-P. 2024. The Geography of Transport Systems. New York, Routledge, 402 p. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003343196.


Abstract views: 0

Share

Published

2026-09-30

How to Cite

Mafratoglu, M. (2026). Spatial Logistics in the System of Human Geography: Theoretical Foundations. Regional Geosystems, 50(3), 707-720. https://doi.org/10.52575/2712-7443-2026-50-3-707-720

Issue

Section

Socio-Economic components of geosystems