Walter'Christaller'(Germany'1930’s).'The'central'place ...
Transcript of Walter'Christaller'(Germany'1930’s).'The'central'place ...
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!