THE CENTRAL PLACE THEORY Key Terms: Basic/Non-Basic Industry Multiplier Effect Range Threshold Low Order Good High Order Good Urban Hierarchy Site and Situation Question: State a product that is perishable but it is not food?

Basic Industry: … Non-Basic Industry: … Multiplier Effect: … We can call this the B/N ratio and give it a value of 1:3

Range: … How far are you willing to travel to purchase bread or milk? How far are you willing to travel to purchase a new car? Threshold:… How many people are needed to support a variety store? How many people are needed to support a museum?

High Order Goods: Low Order Goods:

How has the Internet and shopping on-line changed the concept of Range and Threshold and shopping patterns in general? How has the Internet even changed the idea of where to locate a store?

Urban and Rural Interactions There has been significant movement of people in Canada between urban and rural areas over time. Urbanization Urban Hierarchy The order of goods also increases as you go up.

Urban Hierarchy hamlet village town suburb city metropolis

Urban Hierarchy The larger the urban place the less of them you have and the more variety of goods and services that you will find.

Urban Hierarchy Why are large cities generally located far apart? Why are small towns generally located close together? German geographer Walter Christaller created the central place theory, based on the number of people needed to support an activity - threshold

Urban Hierarchy Does Christaller’s theory work in the “real world”? Let’s take a look at a map of southcentral Ontario and see if we can apply his theory to the settlements that exist here. Draw lines on the base map according to this legend:

Low Order: Bread Medium Order: Video Game High Order: car or washing machine

Lake Huron Lake Ontario Lake Erie

Lake Huron Lake Ontario London Hamilton Burlington Oakville Mississauga Cambridge Kitchener-Waterloo

Walter Christaller’s Central Place Theory Why don’t squares work?

Hamlets

Central Place Theory Market areas are arranged into a regular pattern according to central place theory, with larger settlements fewer and further apart.

Urbanization Urbanization is the movement of people UP the urban hierarchy or in simple terms movement from rural to urban. This has been the main migration pattern of Canadians since the creation of our country. Year% Rural% Urban

Urbanization –reduced need for farm labour due to farm modernization (e.g. tractors) –improvements in mobility (better transportation systems reduces need for local stores) –consolidation of goods & services (most things one needs has relocated to urban areas) Why did people leave the countryside to live in the big cities?

Counter-Urbanization Counter-urbanization …

Counter-Urbanization Why are people leaving the cities to live in smaller towns and villages? –health issues, security, “community” –“back to nature” movement (desire to live in the country) –increase in telecommuting (less need to be at an office) –cheaper land and house prices

Site: … Situation: …

Of course in real life this type of pattern is difficult to attain. There are mountains, rivers, lakes etc. in the way that will distort the hexagon pattern. Also, certain cities locate where they do for other reasons than to just service it’s hinterland. Manufacturing Cities/Resource Cities: … Transportation Hubs: …

Tourist Cites: … Government Centres: …

Equidistant – Central PlaceLinear - Water ClusterLinear – Road/Water

The End!