Lesson 5 - Patterns of Urban Development Flashcards
Concentric Circle Theory
Developed by Ernest Burgess in 1925. Burgess was a sociologist who studied the growth of Chicago. He believed that cities grow in a series of outward rings. Land use is based on the distance from the downtown. There were five rings to his theory. The first is the central business district, which houses a concentration of governmental, office, and commercial uses. The second ring is industrial uses. The third ring is the zone of transition. This area is a mix of industrial and low-income housing. At one time this ring had high-income, large houses. The fourth ring is the zone of independent working men’s homes, and the fifth is for high-class residential.
Sector Theory
Developed by Homer Hoyt in 1939. Hoyt was in the real estate business in Chicago and was interested in high-end residential development. Hoyt disagreed with Burgess’ conception of city growth. He argued that land uses vary based on transportation routes. The city, as a result, was a series of sectors radiating out from the center of the city.
Multiple Nuclei Theory
Developed by Harris and Ullman in 1945. They argued that cities develop a series of specific land use nuclei. A land use nucleus is formed because of accessibility to natural resources, clustering of similar uses, land prices, and the repelling power of land uses.
Central Place Theory
Developed by Walter Christaller in 1933. This theory explains the size and spacing of cities. The theory states that there is a minimum market threshold to bring a firm to a city and there is a maximum range of people who are willing to travel to receive goods and services.
