Topic 6.5

Essential Knowledge

Geographers use urban models to explain how cities are organized internally and how land use patterns develop over time. These models reflect economic forces, transportation systems, social patterns, and historical context. While no model perfectly represents every city, each provides a framework for understanding common urban patterns. 

Burgess Concentric Zone Model 

The Burgess model explains urban structure as a series of concentric rings expanding outward from the central business district (CBD). 

Key zones include: 

• CBD: center of commerce, offices, and services 
• Zone of transition: mixed residential and industrial land use, often with poorer housing 
• Working-class residential zone 
• Middle-class residential zone 
• Commuter zone: suburbs 

This model reflects early industrial cities where growth occurred outward over time. It emphasizes competition for space and declining land values with distance from the CBD. 

Hoyt Sector Model 

The Hoyt model suggests that cities develop in sectors or wedges radiating out from the CBD rather than concentric rings. 

Key ideas include: 

• High-income residential areas develop along desirable corridors (such as waterfronts or major roads) 
• Industrial and transportation corridors shape land use patterns 
• Once established, sectors tend to remain stable over time 

The sector model highlights the importance of transportation routes and environmental desirability in shaping urban form. 

Harris and Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model 

The multiple nuclei model argues that cities grow around multiple centers (nuclei) instead of a single CBD. 

Examples of nuclei include: 

• CBD 
• Industrial parks 
• Universities 
• Airports 
• Shopping centers 

Different activities require different locations, and some land uses repel each other. This model best explains large, modern cities with decentralized land use patterns. 

Galactic City Model (Peripheral Model) 

The galactic city model describes urban form in many U.S. cities, where growth extends outward from a central city surrounded by suburban development and connected by highways. 

Key features include: 

• An inner city 
• Suburban residential zones 
• Edge cities forming around highway intersections 
• Heavy reliance on automobile transportation 

This model reflects post–World War II suburbanization and decentralization. 

Bid-Rent Theory 

Bid-rent theory explains how land use patterns result from competition for space. 

Key principles: 

• Different land users are willing to pay different amounts for locations 
• Commercial activities bid the highest for central locations 
• Residential and industrial uses locate farther from the CBD where land is cheaper 

Bid-rent theory helps explain why land values generally decrease with distance from the CBD and why certain activities cluster in specific areas. 

Urban Models Outside North America and Europe 

Urban structure varies globally based on history, colonial influence, and economic development. 

Latin American city model

Combines a CBD with a commercial spine and elite residential areas, surrounded by zones of decreasing wealth 

Southeast Asian city model

Features multiple commercial centers, often with no single dominant CBD 

African city model

Reflects colonial legacies, ethnic divisions, and uneven development 

These models emphasize that urban form is shaped by regional context and that Western models do not apply universally. 
 

Big Picture Takeaway 

Urban models help explain how cities are internally organized, but they are simplified representations. Together, these models highlight how economic competition, transportation, culture, and history shape land use patterns within cities across the world. 

Contextualization

Video #1: How Highways Wrecked American Cities

Video #2: Urban Models that you NEED to Know

In Practice

Essential Question 

• Explain the internal structure of cities using various models and theories 

Conceptual Analysis  

1. Why are some businesses willing to pay much higher land prices than others? What does this tell us about the value of location?
2. If transportation became free and instantaneous, how might the bid-rent curve change? Explain your reasoning.

Vocab Review 

Provide a shorthand working definition for each of the following terms. This means it needs to be in YOUR OWN WORDS. 

1. Urban Models  
2. Burgess Concentric Zone Model  
3. Hoyt Sector Mode  
4. Harris and Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model 
5. Galactic City Model (Peripheral Model) 
6. Bid-Rent Theory  
7. Latin American City Model  
8. Southeast Asain City Model  
9. Sub-Saharan African City Model 

MCQ

(You only need to write the letter of the answer that you choose)

1. Which urban model best explains a city that developed outward from a central business district in a series of concentric rings? 

A. Hoyt sector model 
B. Multiple nuclei model 
C. Burgess concentric zone model 
D. Galactic city model 
E. Latin American city model 

2. A city with distinct industrial corridors and high-income residential areas aligned along major transportation routes is best explained by the: 

A. Burgess model 
B. Hoyt sector model 
C. Multiple nuclei model 
D. African city model 
E. Bid-rent theory 

3. Which model is most useful for explaining land use patterns in a large metropolitan area with several business districts, shopping centers, and specialized zones? 

A. Concentric zone model 
B. Sector model 
C. Multiple nuclei model 
D. Rank-size rule 
E. Central place theory