Characterizes a country's cities in a way where the second largest city has half the population of the largest city, third largest has a third, and so on.
Countries like the United States, Canada, and Brazil follow this rule.
Results in more distributed economic and social opportunities across cities.
Primate City Rule:
Countries have one large city that is significantly larger than the others, usually more than twice the size of the next largest city.
This city holds significant political, economic, and social influence.
Examples include Mexico City in Mexico and Seoul in South Korea.
Leads to unequal economic development and potential devolution pressures due to dependency on a single city.
Gravity Model
Describes the interaction between two places based on their populations and distance.
Larger settlements have more pull factors attracting more migration and interaction.
Similar to gravitational pull in physics: larger cities exert more pull.
Central Place Theory
Explanation:
Explains the distribution and pattern of cities and towns based on size and services offered.
Uses hexagonal patterns to depict areas served by central points (settlements or services).
Avoids overlap and ensures complete coverage unlike circular models.
Key Concepts:
Threshold: Minimum population needed to support a service.
Range: Maximum distance people will travel for a service.
Application:
Cities offer more specialized and unique goods, while smaller settlements have general services.
Smaller settlements depend on larger ones for some services.
The model helps understand urbanization, e.g., in the American South.
Real World Example:
Kenneth Weir's study showed central place theory in Southern urbanization.
Urban centers like Atlanta serve as central markets for surrounding smaller settlements.
Conclusion
Understanding these models helps explain the distribution and impact of different settlements and their spatial relationships.
Further learning and practice recommended through additional resources, such as review packets and quizzes.