Geography 340

Option 1: Retail Site Location Analysis

In this option students you are to imagine that you are working as a consultant for a large pharmaceutical company. You have been tasked with making a recommendation, or as many as three, for a new retail location for the company that has hired you. You will partner with another student or work alone to complete a report in which you recommend a site for a retail operation.

1. You must utilize at least three (3) of the predictive statistical measures presented in class (or elsewhere) to justify in part your argument for one or two sites.
2. You must demonstrably gather data from a census website regarding socio-economic characteristics of the site location under consideration.
3. You must demonstrably gather data from the census web site regarding business or economic conditions (competition) in the region under consideration.
4. You must demonstrably gather data regarding the specific locastions of existing and/or proposed business interests, such as competitors or cooperators, that would affect the potential success of your proposed site.
5. You are encouraged to make at least one visit to your proposed site in to gather field data, which should include digital photographs of the suggested site, along with notes regarding salient features of the site. (Google Earth, virtual visits are OK)
6. For Fall Semester, 2010, you will be proposing a site location for a new Rite-Aid pharmacy.
7. You must place it somewhere in a ZIP code that begins with 913 or 914 (essentially the San Fernando Valley).
8. A base map, containing several layers of data, as well as a hypothetical customer database will be provided to students. See Moodle for details.
9. The argument can be made in a paper (10-15 pages), a professional grade poster, or a powerpoint presentation.
10. You will be notified in class of the due date.

Option 2: Self-Directed Project

Students who think their individual learning needs or desires are better served by a project of their own creation are encouraged to explore those options as well.

A few stipulations will apply to such projects:

1. The final product will be equivalent to option 1 in terms of rigor and scope, and must include graphics and/or maps.
2. The student will sumbit for approval a one page research proposal to the instructor that contains:
   • known and available data sources
   • a testable hypothesis or workable thesis statement
   • suspected findings
3. Student must use conceptual knowledge or tools presented during the semester.

Rubric: Forthcoming

1. 10% of your grade will be dependent upon your grammar, syntax, spelling etc. Poorly written papers will not get above 90%.
2. Plagiarized papers will earn a zero.
3. Does the logic of your argument hold up under scrutiny?
4. Did you demonstrate an ability to apply the concepts and tools presented in the course? How many tools?
5. Did you visit the site and consider the other tangible and intangible characteristics of the site?
6.