Transcript Central Place Theory - Cheung Chuk Shan College

Central Place Theory
Concepts and ideas
Who put forward the theory?
• Walter Christaller
(1933)
• A German economist
What is the purpose of the theory?
• To explain the correlation between the
size, location, spacing, number and
functions of central places within an
urban system (urban hierarchy) in a
region.
What is a central place?
• A place or settlement
at an accessible /
central location
where central goods
and services are
provided to the
surrounding areas
(hinterland).
What are central place functions?
• Goods/services centrally located 
distributional / dispersed  to
customers who are scattered in the
surrounding hinterlands.
• Range + market thresholddgovern the
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size and order of urban centres
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Main features of CPT
• Systematic rules and regularities are
observed.
• Deduction method is used.
• The theory works under specified
conditions (assumptions).
• To help us understand the urban
hierarchy.
• 3 different orders identified: k=3, 4 and 7.
Assumptions of CPT
• Isotropic plain
• Equal access in all directions
• Even distribution of population (densities) and
purchasing power)
• Concept of centrality
• Minimization of distance travelled by consumers
• Maximization of market areas by suppliers
• High-order/low-order centres/functions
• Long and stable history of settlement
• Isolated state
Concepts of CPT
• What are the main concepts of CPT?
• How are urban centres classified and
spatially organized according to Christaller?
CPT
Classification of urban centres
• Classification is based on functions
• Urban centres fall into discrete classes =
orders
• Determined by range of goods, market
threshold & spatial competition between
central places
Causeway Bay
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Range of goods
Threshold population
Order
Size
Number of central place of the same
category
• Spacing between central places
Order of goods/services
• Higher order = longer range + larger
threshold
•  functional hierarchy
• i.e. large urban centres have more
functions; small urban centres have less
functions.
• A hierarchy of central places will emerge
(7 levels)
• No. of centre will increase by a constant
ratio of k-value.
Spatial organization
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Not haphazard but orderly systems
Regularity in size and spacing
Equally spaced
Surrounded by hexagonally shaped
hinterlands.
Size of hinterland
• Same order = same size
• Lower order  smaller hinterland
• Higher order  larger hinterland (= more
population)  support more functions
• Increase in hinterland area follows k-value
Spacing
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Similar order = scattered evenly
Lower order  close together
Higher order  widely-spaced
Smallest settlements  denser network
Larger settlements  less dense network
Increase in distance apart also follows kvalue.
Range of goods
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order of a good / service
frequency of want and hence purchase
price or value of the article
durability
the price-quality of the good
standard of living
the price-willingness of consumers
the length of the journey
transport cost to price ratio
transport development
subjective economic distance
the spatial distribution of population
Different orders of central places
• Lower-order centres
• High-order centres