1. Threshold, Range, Multiplier Effects
Central Place Theory
OBJECTIVE: Analyze the apply the components of Central Place Theory into real-world Urban Situations
Central Place
Hexagons
Threshold, Range, Multiplier Effects

2. Terms we need to know (located at iLearn)
Urban Functions – What are they?
Hamlet, Village, Town, City, Metropolis, Megalopolis – What’s difference between each one? # & type of urban functions
Low order goods
High order goods
Population Threshold - # of people
Market threshold – amount of $ in the place/area
Range or Range of Sale
Rank-Size Rule
Functional hierarchies – this determines big, small, or medium – how does everything fit together?
Basic Sector
Non-basic Sector
Multiplier Effect
Complementary Region - exclusive hinterland within which the town has a monopoly on the sale of a certain good(s)

3. Limitations to CPT Large areas of flat land are not common
Many forms of transport – costs of each are not necessarily proportional
People and wealth not evenly distributed
Purchasing power of people differs
Perfect competition is not realistic – there are rich and poor

4. Christaller looked at the arrangement of urban place and functions
Christaller looked at the arrangement of urban place and functions. He started trying to model what he saw. Ok, put your round crackers onto your paper towel and start hypothesizing as Christaller did. Next use the hexagonal crackers.

6. The model to reality http://unplanning. blogspot

7. Central Places = Functional Regions – Commuter Flow http://www

8. Central Places = Functional Regions – Megaregions

9. Central Places = Functional Regions – Commutes of 160km or less

10. This video puts all the theory together

11. QUESTIONS??

12. Arrangement and Spacing of Urban Places
Circular shapes resulted in unserved or overlapped areas
Hexagons had no gaps or overlaps
This suggests an inverse relationship of higher order and lower order settlements (towns and cities)
Theoretically, settlements will be equidistant from each other
In other words, big towns/cities are farther apart from each other
It’s all about types, number, and size of urban functions

13. What do we always say about models?
It’s just a model
Is this what most men & women look like?
It’s the same way with models in geography…
Geography models are simply theoretical representations of the built environment

14. Assumptions of Central Place Theory
Isotropic plane – no variation (e.g., flat with no barriers to impede movement
Even population distribution
Rational behavior by consumers – assume that people will minimize the distance they travel to obtain a good or service
That is, Consumers visit the nearest central places that provide the function which they demand
Perfect competition and all sellers are trying to maximize their profits
Consumers have similar purchasing power and demand for goods and services
Transportation costs are equal in all directions
No provider of goods or services is able to earn excess profit(each supplier has a monopoly over a hinterland)
Central Places vary in size - small village to a conurbation
Is part of a link in an urban hierarchy

15. Christaller’s Model Review:
Urban places are ranked in an orderly hierarchy. One is moved? Everything will shift to balance
Real world has no absolutes, but Locational Theory does seem to work
Places of same size with same number of functions would be spaced same distance apart
Large cities are spaced farther apart from each other than towns or villages

16. Let’s look at Rank-Size Rule from Space

17. What about urban distribution and race?

18. So, let’s diagram with the model

19. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)