Internal Structure of US and World Cities: Comprehensive Study Guide

The internal structure of cities is explained through several models and theories, including the Burgess concentric-zone model, the Hoyt sector model, the Harris and Ullman multiple-nuclei model, the galactic city model, and bid-rent theory.
These models help urban geographers understand how cities in the United States developed over time and why they developed in specific spatial patterns.
Transportation innovations are identified as the most significant factor impacting the development and spatial arrangement of American cities.

Definition: This theory posits that the value of land is directly influenced by its distance from the market or city center, known as the Central Business District (CBD).
Land Accessibility and Desirability: - The most desirable and accessible land is located near the CBD, commanding the highest prices. - The least desirable and accessible land is located furthest from the CBD, resulting in the lowest costs.
Land Use Categories based on Bid-Rent: - Closest to City Center: Businesses and stores that generate substantial profits and require high accessibility for customers. - Intermediate Distance: Manufacturing and warehouses, which require more physical space and easy access to transportation services. - Furthest Distance: Residential areas.

History: Developed based on the city of Chicago in the $1920s$ .
Structure: Uses concentric rings to classify different land-use patterns.
Ring Classifications: - Ring # $1$ : The Central Business District (CBD). This is the location of major economic activity and represents the most expensive land. - Ring # $2$ : Zone of Transition. Characterized by factories and industry mixed with low-income apartments. - Ring # $3$ : A ring consisting of low-income housing. It is marked by high population density and generally poor living conditions. - Rings # $4$ and # $5$ : As distance from the CBD increases, land becomes less expensive, leading to larger plots of land, low population density, and single-family homes.

Concept: Created as an improvement on the Concentric Zone Model, using sectors or wedges instead of uniform rings.
Transportation Influence: Sectors develop specifically along transportation routes.
Socioeconomic Distribution: - Low-income housing develops adjacent to industrial areas and major transportation routes. - Middle and high-income housing develops further away from the city center and manufacturing zones to avoid heavy traffic and pollution.

Concept: Cities develop around multiple focal points (nuclei) rather than a single center, building outwards to create a functional region.
Determining Factors: Land-use patterns are influenced by site and situational factors.
Structural Components: - The CBD remains important, but auxiliary business districts exist in various other locations. - Manufacturing and industry are situated near transportation routes to facilitate shipping. - Agglomeration: Similar businesses locate near one another to benefit from shared labor pools, suppliers, and communication networks. - Residential Patterns: Middle and high-income housing is situated away from the city center and industrial zones to minimize exposure to traffic and pollution.

Era: This is the most modern model, developed in the $1980s$ .
Focus: It focuses on the decentralization and suburbanization of urban environments.
Historical Context: City development patterns changed starting in the $1950s$ due to the rise of car ownership and the trend toward suburbanization.
Key Feature: Includes "edge cities," which function as mini-CBDs. These include shopping, entertainment, and offices, and are typically positioned along major transportation routes.

Objective: Urban models drawn from Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa are used to explain the unique internal structures of cities in different global regions.
These models often reflect the historical influence of European colonialism on the modern cultural landscape.

Structure: Combines basic elements of the Concentric Zone and Sector City models.
The Spine and Mall: - The "Spine" is a high-end commercial sector that runs from the modernized CBD in the city center to a secondary urban center called "the mall." - Elite residential housing is typically located along this spine.
Infrastructure and Cost: As distance from the CBD increases, housing becomes less expensive because these areas lack critical infrastructure and city services.
Disamenity Zones: These are locations on typically steep, mountainous, or dangerous terrain that are not connected to official city services.
Squatter Settlements: Known as "favelas" or "barrios," these form on the outskirts of the city and within the disamenity zones.
Zone of In Situ Accretion: A transitional zone containing mixed-quality housing, situated between elite housing and squatter settlements.

Colonial Influence: The model reflects the profound influence of colonialism across the continent.
The $3$ CBDs: - Traditional CBD: Characterized by small shops and narrow streets. - Colonial CBD: Characterized by wide, straight streets (often in grid patterns) and government buildings featuring European architectural styles. - Market Zone: Defined by traditional open-air markets.
Cultural Landscape and Examples: - The Palais de la Nation, built in $1956$ to house the colonial governor of the Belgian Congo. - Government House in Lagos, Nigeria. - Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. - While some aspects of the model are outdated, the presence of the $3$ CBDs is still visible in the cultural landscape of many African countries today.

Port Center: Instead of a traditional CBD, the model is centerd around a port zone, which served as the center of commerce in colonial Southeast Asia for export-oriented trade.
Ethnic and Western Zones: - Alien Commercial Zone: A secondary commercial zone designated for Chinese business, reflecting the history of Chinese immigration in the region. - Western Commercial Zone: An area where merchants from European countries are located, a direct result of colonialism.
Market Gardening Zone: A distinctive feature of this model based on the local climate and agricultural land use patterns.
Summary: This model emphasizes the history of European colonialism and the role of the city as a link to the global market via port activity.