Internal

Structure
of City
  Burgess – Concentric
Zone
Three
key  Hoyt – Sector Model
theories
 Harris
and Ullman –
Multiple Nuclei
Burgess
Monocentric
 • Having made in depth studies of
the morphology of Chicago in the
1920's, Burgess concluded that
city land-use could be identified
as a series of concentric rings
around the CBD.
• The CBD will contain all the major
shops and offices and be a centre
of entertainment.
Explanation • Surrounding this CBD will be the
oldest housing, which is in a state
of deterioration. Industry will also
feature in this area. This is the area
often referred to as the inner city
or 'zone of transition'.
 Having made in depth studies of
Explanation •
the morphology of Chicago in
the 1920's, Burgess concluded
that city land-use could be
identified as a series of
concentric rings around the CBD.
• The CBD will contain all the major
shops and offices and be a
centre of entertainment.
• Surrounding this CBD will be the
oldest housing, which is in a state
of deterioration. Industry will also
feature in this area. This is the
area often referred to as the inner
city or 'zone of transition'.
 • If taken as a very broad pattern,
then a large number of towns and
cities follow the pattern identified
by Burgess.
• It is good model because it is
simple and easy to understand.
Evaluation • Burgess could not have foreseen
the changes in transport routes or
For society yet his model is still relevant
when identifying the reasons
behind the urban morphology of
a city.
• It helps us to understand the
process involved in the growth of
a city.
Evaluation against (1)

It does not take any physical features into account.

Burgess' own case study - The growth of any city will be
influenced by the physical geography of the area.

Transport is much more readily available allowing more

people to commute. This has meant that commuter
villages have developed some distance from the edge
of the urban area. Burgess could not have foreseen this.
Evaluation against (2)

 Urban regeneration and gentrification has meant

that some of the most expensive property can
now be found in traditional 'low class' areas. Whilst
council estates have built up on the edges of
many large cities - these are now some of the
most depressed areas in British cities.

 The decentralisation of shops, manufacturing

industry and entertainment does not follow his
model.
Hoyt
Sector
Model
  Hoyt's model came nearly twenty years
after Burgess'.
 He suggested that the city grew in a series
of sectors or 'wedges'.
 These would grow along traditional
communication routes.
 The land-use within a sector would remain
the same as like attracts like.

Explanation  For example, a 'high class' sector would

remain high class as it would be the most
desirable area to live, so only the
wealthiest could afford it.
 An industrial sector would remain industrial
as the zone would have a common
advantage - perhaps a railway line or river.
 Note how the low quality housing is next to
the industrial zone, middle class next to low
class and high class as far as possible from
industry and low class.
 Central Business
•Most accessible point
District
•Most expensive land
•Most profitable •Government offices
activities CBD
•Business
•Causes growth of city
by expansion •Shopping
•Churches
High Income Sector
• Easy access to CBD
• Easy access to
highways
CBD
• On west side away
from industrial air
pollution
• High elevation
• Close to lake/river
Middle Income Sectors
• Access to CBD
• Access to highways
• Retail areas in this
CBD sector
• West of industrial
areas minimal air
pollution
Industrial & Transportation Sectors

• Industry
• Transportation
• Access to CBD
CBD • Pollution
Low Income Sectors

• Close to Industry
• In pollution zone
• low laying land
CBD • Poor road access
• Limited retail
available
Lowest Income Sector (slum)
• Next to Industry
• In pollution zone
• low laying land
• Poor road access
CBD
• No retail
available
• The “wrong side
of the tracks”
Hoyt Sector Model of Urban Ecology
Transportation
Middle & Industrial
Income Low
High Slum
CBD Income
Income

Middle
Income
Transportation
& Industrial
 Some cities seem to follow Hoyt's
sectors.

It provides us with an alternative

Evaluation set of explanations to Burgess.
For

Communication routes (Rivers,

roads, railways) do often provide
a very definite boundary to a
sector/land-use
Evaluation  Like Burgess' there is little
reference to the physical
Against environment.
 The growth of sector can be
stopped as land-use leapfrogs
out of the old inner city.
 For example, out of town council
estates have prevented large
high-class sector developing in
other areas of Bristol.
 Again, like Burgess, there is no
reference to out of town
developments
  In addition, the division between
land-uses in both models is far to
clear-cut.
 Firstly, you would not suddenly walk
from lower to middle to higher class
housing.
 Also, all zones will have a mixture of
land-uses.
Comparison
 Residential zones will have shops
and industry in amongst them.
 They do, however, give us a bench
mark for comparison and allow us to
have a basic understanding of the
complex set of processes that
determine the distribution of land-
use within a city
Harris and
Ullman’s
Multiple
Nuclei
Theory
 Modern cities more complex
than suggested by other
theorists

Assumptions; Each nucleus acts as a

growth point

Growth occurs outwards from

each nucleus, until they all
merge into one large urban
area
 Shows some land-uses
attract more of the same,
for example industrial
areas
Assumptions
Some land-uses may deter
others from locating
nearby, eg; housing is
usually located away from
industrial areas
 Not an exact fit for all
cities and towns

Assumptions Too complex

Modern cities are

expanding beyond these
models- Urban Sprawl
Contemporary urban trends: gentrification and urban renewal
Contemporary urban
trends: sprawl
Low-density “leapfrog”
developments beyond
urban edge
Lack of coordinated
planning between
jurisdictions
Consequence of car-
dependent urban
growth