Spatial conditions. Site et situation

A city cannot exist without a specific spatial framework. To describe the influence of this framework, geographers often rely on two distinct spatial concepts: situation and site. Situation refers to the general conditions of a city’s surroundings; site refers to the characteristics of the exact spot where initial settlement occurred. While site corresponds essentially to topographic and hydrographic features, situation involves a broader concept, incorporating additional factors and especially taking into account the location of a place in relation to other places and spatialized phenomena like markets, transportation routes and harbours. The following discussion of the spatial conditions pertaining to the development of Liège and its region is based on these two key concepts.