UST 200 Introduction to Urban Studies

UST 200 Introduction to Urban Studies Chapter 3 The City Organizes Its Space (Geography)

Geography • Question we will answer is why the city looks the way it does • Focus on models that explain what we see spatially in the city

Location Theories- Land Use • Regular, predictable patterns • Reflect “highest and best use of the land” • Land owners use land to optimal economic advantage

Von Thunen - Agricultural 1. Urban Area 2. Market Gardening 3. Dairy (Milk) 4 Dairy (Butter, Cheese) 5. Grain (Wheat, corn) 6. Livestock and general farming 7. Grazing

Bid Rent Curve – Wm Alonso

Industrial Location – Alfred Weber • Economic Rational model • Those in charge work to minimize transportation costs of goods • Balance of cost of shipping raw materials to plant vs shipping finished part to market • Heavy raw material, plant close to raw material • Heavy finished product, plant close to market

Central Place Theory Walter Christaller -Economic relationship between cities and hinterlands -Theory based on concept of range and threshold

Central Place Theory • Range of good • Distance person will travel to obtain good or service • Inner range – Area required for threshold purchasing power • Outer range – Maximum area it is feasible for people to travel to obtain the good.

Central Place Theory • Threshold • Amount of purchasing power required to support the provision of the good or service • Lower order goods – replenish frequently • Higher order goods – purchased less often, more expensive

Central Place Theory • Assumptions • Those involved always purchase from closest central place • When threshold purchasing power exists at a central place, the good or service will be provided • Countryside is flat for equality of travel

Central Place Theory • August Losch • Says consumer welfare needs to be maximized not supplier profit • Different central place structure • One central place with all highest order goods – outlying places supply lower order goods

Central Place Theory • Problems with theory • Ignores other influences on city size, shape and spacing • Static view of settlement patterns • Cannot respond to shifts in population densities, transportation technologies, communication systems and consumer spending power

Concentric Zone Model Earliest model Chicago School of Sociology Social interaction Concepts of dominance, specialization and succession explain what you see

Homer Hoyt’s Sector Model 1. Central Business District 2. Wholesaling and Light Industrial 3. Lower income residential 4. Middle income residential 5. Upper income residential

Sector Model • Important point of model is relative location of different sectors • Key to dynamics is behavior of affluent households • Filtering • Vacancy Chain • Obsolescence – 4 types

Multi-nuclei Model • Chaunci Harris and Edward Ullman • Reflects changes in city form that occurred with automobile usage • Schematic representation of major categories of land use.

Multi-nuclei Model Auto allows for freedom to locate next to compatible uses Helps to explain what we see in cities today None of the models are perfect but all help in our understanding of city development

Life-cycle stages • Peter Rossi • Why people move to where they move to • Based on needs of individual at various stages of life • Coupled with things that you value or dislike

Push – Pull Factors • Everett Lee • Push factors include • High costs (taxes), unpleasant neighbors, poor city services, poor schools • Pull factors include • Good schools, lower costs (taxes) perception of safety, convenience to work

Geographical Information Systems • Tool that allows for analysis & map display of data • (over 80% of government data is associated with geography) • Help in tracking trends • Help in identifying problem areas • Spatial and statistical analysis

Geographical Information Systems • GIS Definition Video Clip • GIS on the web- Google Maps • College of Urban Affairs (NODIS) GIS examples

UST 200 Introduction to Urban Studies