Spatial Fix

The term spatial fix is embedded in Marxian thinking, which emerged in geography in the early 1970s. It is closely associated with the pioneering work of David Harvey on the historical geography of industrial capitalism. The spatial fix depicts the inherent contradictory nature of capitalism, which has explicit geographical dimensions. First, the spatial fix reflects the intrinsic need of capital to spread out over space in order to overcome its inherent crises of overaccumulation; second, it means securing and deepening a presence in specific locations as a result of built-up investments over time. It has become an important notion within Marxist-influenced human geography and has been applied in a variety of different contexts.