Unit 6 Chapters 4-5

6.4 - The Size and Distribution of Cities

Learning Objectives

• Understand how cities are organized in systems.

• Explain urban hierarchy and distribution patterns using key theories and models.

Key Vocabulary

Core Concepts

Urban Systems

• Cities form networks, depending on transport, trade, and governance.

• They serve different functions (economic, political, cultural) and support each other.

Urban Hierarchy

• Based on the size and importance of cities.

• Top: large cities with many services.

• Bottom: small towns with fewer services.

Rank-Size Rule

• Predictable population pattern in developed countries.

• Formula: Rank of a city is inversely proportional to its population size.

Primate Cities

• Cities that are more than twice the size of the next largest city.

• Often dominate in developing countries.

• Serve as political, economic, and cultural centers.

Central Place Theory (Christaller)

• Explains why cities and services are distributed in a hexagonal pattern.

• People travel short distances for low-order goods (e.g., groceries) and longer for high-order goods (e.g., surgery).

• Cities develop where market areas (hinterlands) meet.

Gravity Model

• The larger and closer two places are, the more interaction they will have.

• Used to analyze trade patterns, migration, and service use.

Review Questions

1. What is the rank-size rule? Where is it most common?

2. What makes a city a primate city?

3. What does Christaller’s model say about urban service distribution?

4. Define threshold and range with examples.

5. How does the gravity model explain city interaction?

6.5 - The Internal Structure of Cities

Learning Objectives

• Explain how cities are organized internally.

• Use urban models to describe land use, housing, and business locations.

Key Vocabulary

Core Concepts

Concentric Zone Model (Burgess)

• City grows outward in rings from the CBD (central business district).

• Zones:

  1. CBD

  2. Zone of Transition (factories, lower-income housing)

  3. Working-Class Housing

  4. Middle-Class Homes

  5. Suburbs

Sector Model (Hoyt)

• City develops in sectors (wedges) radiating out from the CBD.

• Land use aligns with transportation lines (e.g., railroads, highways).

• Certain areas are more desirable based on location and access.

Multiple-Nuclei Model (Harris & Ullman)

• Cities develop around multiple centers (nodes).

• Each node has a different function (e.g., industrial, residential, commercial).

• Recognizes decentralization and specialized districts.

Galactic City Model (Peripheral Model)

• Post-industrial city form, focused on automobiles.

• Edge cities develop around ring roads or highways.

• CBD still exists but is less dominant.

• Suburbs grow into independent business centers.

Bid-Rent Theory

• Land closer to the CBD is more expensive.

• Land use patterns:

  • Businesses (need exposure, pay most)

  • Apartments/housing (next highest)

  • Suburbs (cheaper, less accessible)

Review Questions

1. Which model describes a city with rings?

2. What’s the main feature of the sector model?

3. Why does the multiple-nuclei model reflect modern cities better?

4. How does the galactic model show decentralization?

5. According to bid-rent theory, who pays the most for land?