THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DEVELOP MODELS FOR EVALUATING VIABILITIES AND THEIR CHANGES OVER TIME, WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN LOCAL CITIES. THE PRICES, QUALITY, AND VARIETY OF SERVICES ARE KEY FACTORS IN ASSESSING VIABILITIES. A THEORETICAL MODEL IS PRESENTED TO EXPLAIN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARKET STRUCTURE AND MARKET ENVIRONMENT. THE EVALUATION MEASURES ARE PROPOSED TO INVESTIGATE THE CHANGING PATTERNS OF MARKET VIABILITIES OF LOCAL CITIES. AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IS CARRIED OUT TO ILLUSTRATE THE APPLICABILITY OF OUR EVALUATION MODELS.
