Richard Thünen

Richard Thünen was a 19th-century German economist known for his ground-breaking work in agricultural land use and regional economics. He developed the "Thünen Model," which explains how different types of farming and land use are organized around a central market. Thünen proposed that land closest to the market is used for intensive agriculture and perishable goods, while further out, land is devoted to less perishable crops and livestock. This model illustrates the relationship between transportation costs, land use, and market access, influencing modern agricultural and urban planning theories. His insights laid foundational concepts in economic geography.