CENTRAL PLACE THEORY. A. Site & Situation 1.site: refers to the physical characteristics of a location 2.situation: refers to the relative location in.

CENTRAL PLACE THEORY

A. Site & SituationA. Site & Situation1.1. sitsitee: refers to the : refers to the

physical physical characteristics of characteristics of a locationa location

2.2. situationsituation: refers : refers to the relative to the relative location in terms location in terms of spatial of spatial interconnection & interconnection & interdependenceinterdependence

B. Types of Settlement B. Types of Settlement PatternsPatterns

Nucleated settlementsNucleated settlements: clustered : clustered around a central nodal point (defense, around a central nodal point (defense, close to water, transportation routes)close to water, transportation routes)

Linear settlementsLinear settlements: geographically : geographically restricted by mountains, hills, valleys or restricted by mountains, hills, valleys or rivers…or along roadsrivers…or along roads

Dispersed settlementsDispersed settlements: lot of land is : lot of land is required, such as farming regionsrequired, such as farming regions

Settlement types:

A?

B?

C?

C. Functional Structure of Cities:

Three basic types of cities:

1. Central places: functioning primarily as service centers for local hinterlands.

2. Transportation centers: performing break-of-bulk functions for larger regions

3. Specialized-function cities: dominated by one activity such as mining, manufacturing, or recreation

Economic Base Theory

Basic Sector: local businesses that are dependent upon sales outside the city

Non-basic Sector: businesses dependent upon local business conditions (grocery store, barber, drycleaners, restaurants)

multiplier effect: increase in basic jobs increases non-basic jobs…

D. WORLD CITIES & MEGACITIES

1.World cities: play a key role in the global economy (London, New York, Tokyo)

– most have extremely large populations– some do not: Milan (center of fashion) & Geneva

(UN agencies)

2.Megacities: over 10 million

– over ½ of 20 largest cities today are in developing worldProblems of megacities: migration from the countryside, slums (barrios or favelas), informal economies, poverty, crime, child labor, orphans, water supply

HOW URBANIZED IS THE WORLD TODAY?

% pop urban

Africa 38Asia 38L America 75N America 77Europe 75Oceania 70

1. The developing world of Africa & Asia are more rural

2. Regions that industrialized first have more medium-sized towns (Europe)

3. MOST URBANIZED region: W. Europe – Belgium, Netherlands, U.K. are >90% urbanized

1950 1975 2003 2015

Urban Area

Popu-

lation

Urban Area Popu-

lation

Urban Area Popu-

lation

Urban Area Popu-

lation

1 New York, 12.3 1 Tokyo, Japan

26.6 1 Tokyo, Japan 35.0 1 Tokyo, Japan 36.2

2 Tokyo, Japan

11.3 2 New York, USA

15.9 2 Mexico City, Mexico

18.7 2 Mumbai, India 22.6

3 Shanghai, China

11.4 3 New York, USA 18.3 3 Delhi, India 20.9

4 Mexico City 10.7 4 Sao Paulo, Brazil

17.9 4 Mexico City, Mexico

20.6

5 Mumbai, India 17.4 5 Sao Paulo, Brazil

20.0

6 Delhi, India 14.1 6 New York, USA 19.7

7 Calcutta, India 13.8 7 Dhaka, Bangladesh

17.9

8 Buenos Aires 13.0 8 Jakarta, Indonesia

17.5

9 Shanghai, China

12.8 9 Lagos, Nigeria 17.0

10

Jakarta, Indonesia

12.3 10

Calcutta, India 16.8

11

Los Angeles, USAb

12.0 11

Karachi, Pakistan

16.2

12

Dhaka, Bangladesh

11.6 12

Buenos Aires, Argentina

14.6

13

Osaka-Kobe, Japan

11.2 13

Cairo, Egypt 13.1

14

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

11.2 14

Los Angeles, USAb

12.9

E. Walter Christaller’sCentral Place Theory

1. nested hexagons show a hierarchal ranking of market areas

hinterland: rural area outside urban areas

Why Hexagons for Market Areas?

Hexagons don’t leave gaps between market areas

& its edges aren’t equidistant from the center

2. range of services: maximum distance consumers are willing to travel to obtain a product or service

* luxury items: longer range

3. threshold: minimum number of consumers needed to support a business

provides some basic services

Hamlets

Larger than a village and has a higher level of specialization

Towns

CitiesCities have more specialization and a larger hinterland than a town…A city has suburbs while a town has outskirts

Market-Area Analysis

• Retailers and other service providers make use of market-area studies to determine whether locating in the market would be profitable

Supermarket and Convenience Store Market

Areas

Market area, range, and threshold for Kroger supermarkets (left) and UDF convenience stores in

Dayton, Ohio. Supermarkets have much larger areas and ranges than convenience stores.

F. Central Place Assumptions:

1. orderly hierarchy of central places

2. places of the same size equally spaced apart

3. larger cities spaced farther apart

Rank-Size Rule1. inverse relationship between size of

a city & its urban rank

2. Under the rank-size rule:

- town 1/2 the size city- village 1/3 size- hamlet ¼ size