Urban Land Use Models: Concentric Zone Model and Hoyt Sector Model

Central Business District (CBD)

  • Definition: The CBD is the core area of a city that serves as the central point for economic activity. It's characterized by high land prices and significant business concentration.
  • Importance: Often the most profitable area due to high foot traffic and accessibility.

Concentric Zone Model

  • Origin: Developed in the 1920s focusing on the city of Chicago.
  • Structure: Defined through a series of concentric rings representing different land uses.
    • Ring #1: CBD
    • Contains main economic activities and the highest land costs due to demand.
    • Bid-Rent Theory: Land prices decrease as one moves away from the CBD.
    • Ring #2: Zone of Transition
    • Area characterized by factories and industries.
    • Mixed-use of low-income apartments, often leading to socio-economic challenges.
    • Ring #3: Low-Class Residential
    • Predominantly low-income housing.
    • High population density and often poor living conditions.
    • Ring #4: Middle-Class Residential
    • Further from CBD, represents an increase in living conditions and property size.
    • Lower density than previous zones, indicating more spacious living arrangements.
    • Ring #5: Commuter's Zone
    • This area includes larger plots of land suitable for single-family homes.
    • Further reduces population density, catering to those commuting to the city for work.

Hoyt Sector Model

  • Improvement: An adaptation of the Concentric Zone Model, utilizing sectors rather than rings.
  • Key Features:
    • Sectors along Transportation Routes: Land use is shaped by major transport pathways, which influence the distribution of different neighborhoods.
    • Low-Income Housing: Tends to cluster near industrial zones and major transport routes to facilitate access, albeit at the cost of living conditions.
    • Middle and High-Income Housing: Developed at greater distances from the city center, which avoids the heavy traffic, pollution, and noise associated with industry, contributing to better living environments.