Central Place Theory

Central Place Theory

-Walter Christaller: 1933

• German Geographer

• Proposed CPT to explain the distribution of cities of different sizes across a region.

• Uses consumer behavior to explain distribution (pg.384)

• Central Place: a location where people go to receive goods and services. (pg.384)

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​Central Place Theory:

​-Lower-order services

• convenience store

• post office

• religious center

​​Hamlet/Village

-Lower-order services

• More Stores

• More Services

​Small City

​-Lower- and Higher-order services

• Direct air flights

• Broadway shows

​​Major City

​Christaller's model, each size of settlement would be evenly distributed across space.

• Area that contains people who will purchase goods or services

• Higher-order services have larger market areas.

• These areas are depicted by the hexagonal hinterlands.

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​Market Area

Market Area: zone that contains people who will purchase goods or services.

• surrounds each central place

• hexagonal hinterland

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​Shape of Market Area

Hotspot

Where is the Major City?

Hotspot

Where is the Small City?

Hotspot

Where is the Hamlet/Village

Central place theory uses the concepts of threshold and range to determine which services will be available in any central place. Threshold and range also determine how far apart central areas should be, based on population size.

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Threshold

and

Range

• The size of population necessary for any particular service to exist and remain profitable.

​​Threshold

• The distance people will travel to obtain specific goods and services.

​​Range