Distance réelle et distance perçue
Une étude de cas
Résumé
ABSTRACT. - Accessibility to a public facility or to a shopping centre is usually defined in location theory by a decreasing function of the real distance covered by the user or the consumer. Doing so, it is often implicitly admitted that the real distance is the fundamental variable to be considered in order to explain his spatial behaviour. But according to a d(fferent theory, which has been developed for about 20 years, the individual's spatial behaviour is depencling upon the "image,, that he has made of his surroundings. This theory emphasizes the importance of a perceived distance adapted to each individual faced by the real distance. Under those conditions, we might question the validity of the "real distance,, variable used in location models. This paper shows, through a case study, that perceived distance is a reliable estimation of real distance and hence using real distance only brings minor distorsions to location analysis.