Walter'Christaller'(Germany'1930’s).'The'central'place'theory'describes'the'spa>al'

pa?erns'of'urban'and'outlying'areas'based'on'the'flow'of'goods'and'services.'''

Christaller'was'trying'to'explain'the'distribu>on'the'distribu>on'of'urban'areas'on'the'

Northern'European'Plain.'''

A'hinterland'is'an'area'to'which'goods'and'services'are'provided'by'the'urban'center.''

For'example'the'hinterland'might'have'the'raw'material/food'whereas'the'urban'

area'has'goods'and'services.''

1!

To'establish'a'market'area'a'circle'is'drawn'around'the'node'(connec>on'point)'of'

service'on'a'map.''The'territory'inside'the'circle'is'the'market'area.'

'

Because'people'prefer'to'get'services'from'the'nearest'loca>on,'consumers'near'the'

center'of'the'circle'obtain'services'from'local'establishments.'

Range'is'the'max'distance'people'are'willing'to'travel.'The'range'is'the'radius'of'the'

circle'(or'hexagon)'drawn'to'deliniate'a'service'market'area.''

2!

People'tend'to'give'>me'(range)'in'minutes.''Why'might'a'market'area'not'be'

circular?''

'

In'a'large'urban'se?lement'the'range'for'something'like'McDonalds'(fast'food)'is'3'

miles'whereas'a'Steak'n'Shake'(casual'dining)'is'5'miles.''The'range'for'an'arena'is'60'

miles.'

'

High'order'versus'low'order?'

Bread?'

Mink'Coat?'

Gas?'

Milk?'

Cup'of'Coffee?'

Jaguar'(car)?'

Family'doctor?'

Heart'Doctor?'

3!

Why'a'hexagon?''Circles'leaver'caps,'squares'are'not'equidistant'from'the'center'

thus'the'hexagon'as'a'compromise.'''

Another'name'for'economic'reach'is'the'“hinterland”.''Every'urban'center'has'a'

certain'economic'reach'that'can'be'used'to'measure'its'centrality.'So…urban'areas'

with'good'economic'reach'are'said'to'have'good'centrality.''

4!

Christaller'postulated'that'ci>es'would'be'regularly'spaced'with'central'places'where'

the'same'product'was'sold'at'the'same'price'located'a'standard'distance'apart.'''

'

A'hierarchy'is'a'rank'ordering'according'to'size'and'func>on.'

'

Central'place'theory'maintains'that'each'central'place'as'a'surrounding'

complimentary'region;'an'exclusive'trade'area'within'which'the'town'has'a'

monopoly'on'the'sale'of'certain'goods'because'it'alone'can'provide'such'goods'at'a'

given'price'within'a'certain'range'of'travel.'

5!

So…what'determines'the'size'of'a'hinterland?'The'distance'to'the'next'urban'area'of'

the'same'rank'in'the'heirarchy.''

6!

7!

The'hexagons'are'what'you'see'in'the'model.'Reality'doesn’t'always'look'so'neat'and'

orderly.''

8!

All'se?lements'have'one'degree'of'centrality.'Each'provides'some'type'of'service'to'a'

surrounding'hinterland.''Smaller'se?lements'have'smaller'hinterlands'and'they'offer'

fewer'goods'and'services.''A'“low'order”'se?lement'offering'“lower'order”'goods'

and'service.''

'

A'hamlet'provides'few'basic'services.''Hamlets'might'have'one'convenience'store'

and'zero'stop'lights.''It'is'likely'you'have'never'spent'any'>me'in'a'hamlet'but'might'

have'driven'through'one.'

'

'

Some'examples'of'hamlets:'

Dime'Box,'TX'(12'miles'north'of'Giddings'popula>on'1027)'

Round'Top,'TX'(in'Faye?e'county,'in'popula>on'of'93)'

Cut'and'Shoot,'TX'(40'miles'north'of'Houston'popula>on'1089)'

9!

The'key'here'is'selec>on.'For'example'there'are'several'brands'of'gas'rather'than'just'

one.'A'village'might'have'mul>ple'convenience'stores'and'a'small'grocery'store.''

Villages'usually'have'one'or'two'American'car'dealerships.''There'will'be'doctors'and'

den>sts'in'a'village'but'they'will'not'be'specialized'in'their'prac>ce.'

'

Ex:'Hu?o,'Manor'

'

Westlake'is'considered'an'“urban'village”.'It'has'been'surrounded'by'the'city,'but'

func>onally'serves'as'a'village'(in'terms'of'goods'and'services)'

10!

If'you'see'a'WaliMart'and'a'standard'foreign'car'dealership,'you'can'be'sure'you'are'

in'at'least'a'town.''There'will'be'somewhat'specialized'medical'op>ons'such'as'a'

pediatrician'or'an'orthodon>st.'

'

Ex:'Fredricksburg'and'San'Marcos''

11!

Ci>es'have'many'specialized'goods'and'services.'

EX:'Aus>n,'San'Antonio,'Houston,'Dallas'

12!

The'hinterland'refers'to'the'economic'reach'of'an'se?lement.''Ci>es'have'the'largest'

hinterlands.''The'further'ci>es'are'spaced'apart,'the'larger'their'hinterland.''The'

black'circles'above'represent'the'hinterland'a'few'major'urban'areas'of'Texas.''Think'

of'it'this'way,'if'you'need'a'very'specialized'service'or'unique'good'you'would'likely'

need'to'go'to'a'city'to'get'it.''If'you'want'to'buy'a'Ferrari'and'you'don’t'live'in'a'major'

city,'you’d'have'to'travel'to'that'city'to'but'the'car.''Same'idea'if'you'wanted'a'really'

nice'prom'dress.'

13!

The'arrangement'of'the'urban'hierarchy'is'based'on'differences'in'popula>on'size'

and'complexity'of'func>ons.'''

'

So,'how'do'you'know'when'you'have'crossed'from'one'hinterland'into'another?'

Maybe'by'the'newspaper'for'sale,'bumper's>ckers,'billboards….what'about'football'

teams?'

14!

15!

The'func>onal'interdependency'between'places'within'urban'systems'tends'to'result'

in'a'dis>nc>ve'rela>onship'between'popula>on'size'of'ci>es'and'their'rank'within'the'

overall'hierarchy.'''

The'rankisize'rule'describes'a'certain'sta>s>cal'regularity'in'the'cityisize'distribu>ons'

of'countries'and'regions.''

16!

17!

Where'does'the'urban'hierarchy'work'and'where'does'it'not?'

'

In'the'Midwest'the'spa>al'forces'at'work'conform'to'Christaller’s'fundamental'

central'place'theory.'(Flat'plains'as'in'the'northern'European'Plain).'

'

No>ce'the'highway'systems?'The'Fall'Line?'Where'topography'changes?'The'Rocky'

Mountains?''

'

18!

Look'at'the'spacing'of'se?lements'shown'on'the'map'of'Illinois.''Illinois'meets'the'

requirements'of'the'model.''The'state'is'rela>vely'flat,'has'good'water'sources'and'

farmland.''Christaller’s'Central'Place'Theory'works'out'pre?y'well'in'this'situa>on.'

'

19!

A'primate'city'dominates.'It'is'much'larger'than'any'other'city'in'the'urban'system.''

At'least'1/3'the'popula>on'of'the'na>on'and'at'least'2'>mes'larger.''

'

Ex:'Paris'is'8'>mes'larger'than'the'next'largest'city'of'Marseilles.''In'Brazil'Rio'and'Sao'

Paulo'are'5'>mes'larger'than'Bel'Horizonte.'

20!

Primate'ci>es'are'a'result'of'numerous'factors.''Countries'colonized'by'Europe'oken'

have'primate'ci>es.''Colonizers'oken'developed'only'one'main'city'for'

administra>on,'economics,'etc.''Some'countries'are'too'small'to'have'more'than'one'

major'city.''Some'countries'have'physical'characteris>cs'that'don’t'allow'for'mul>ple'

large'ci>es.''Some'forms'of'govt'are'conducive'to'only'having'a'primate'city.'

21!

To'challenge'the'model'challenge'the'assump>ons.'

'

22!