Lecture Notes: Urban Geography and Settlement Patterns

Key Concepts

• Rank Size Rule and Primate Cities
• Gravity Model
• Central Place Theory

Rank Size Rule vs. Primate Cities

Primate Cities

• A country with one predominant city, often double the size of the second-largest city.
• These cities hold significant political, economic, and social influence.
• Examples: Mexico City, Seoul.
• Drawbacks include economic dependency on one city and potential for unequal development and devolutionary pressures.

Rank Size Rule

• A distribution where the second-largest city is half the population of the largest, the third-largest is one-third, and so forth.
• Allows for more balanced economic and social opportunities across multiple cities.
• Examples: United States, Canada, Brazil.

Gravity Model

• Concept that larger settlements attract more people due to greater pull factors (e.g., jobs, services).
• Similar to gravitational pull: larger mass (city) = stronger attraction.
• Larger cities offer more amenities and thus have greater migratory pull compared to smaller ones.

Central Place Theory

Model Overview

• Developed by Christaller to explain the distribution of cities based on size and services.
• Uses hexagons to represent areas served by a central point without overlap.

Key Concepts

• Threshold: Minimum population needed to support a service.
• Range: Maximum distance people will travel for a service.

Application Examples

• Subway Store Locations:
  • Stores positioned based on range and threshold considerations.
  • Urban areas see clustered stores due to higher population density and traffic.
• Professional Stadiums:
  • High threshold and large range mean fewer stadiums serving larger areas.

Settlement Hierarchy

• Cities have more unique goods/services.
• Villages rely on proximity to larger settlements for access to necessary services.
• Example: Urban hierarchy in the American South shows cities like Atlanta serving surrounding smaller settlements.

Practical Application

• Use central place theory to understand urbanization patterns in regions like the American South.
• Study of settlement patterns helps understand economic ties and infrastructure needs.

Conclusion

• Understanding these geographic models aids in comprehending the spatial organization of cities and their economic/social interactions.
• Further study and practice can enhance knowledge for exams and practical applications in urban planning.