Krugman states that "Regional science is not a unified subject. It is best
described as a collection of tools." Unfortunately such a perspective fails
to fully acknowledge theoretical dimensions of the accompanying refocusing
on geographic expressions of economic linkages, such as those highlighted
in spatial externalities specifications. Such promulgated aspects of the sp
atial economic landscape relate to map pattern, and certainly the spatial s
tatistics and spatial econometrics theory that accompanies it, as well as t
he underlying substantive theory garnered from a variety of sources. The pr
incipal implication is other than "loose-jointed, do-the-best-you-can theor
izing". JEL classification: C52, R10, R12, R14, R39.