Urban Geography
Where are cities located and why?
Although The U.S. and Europe have a higher percentage of urban
dwellers, India and China both have higher numbers of urban
dwellers.
Settlement Factors:
Topography
• Orientation and shelter
Settlement Factors:
Topography
• A river crossing
Settlement Factors:
Topography
The floor of a river valley.
Settlement Factors:
Topography
• Machu Pichu—symbolic significance
Site Factors for Settlements:
Key resources
• Mining towns
Site Factors for Settlements:
Key resources
Water and energy supply
Site Factors for Settlements
Key resources
The Fall Line—Important resource sites
Trenton NJ
Philadelphia PA
Baltimore MD
Washington D.C.
Richmond VA
Raleigh NC
Columbia SC
Atlanta GA
Montgomery, AL
Jackson, MS
Site Factors for Settlements:
Key resources
• Outside of a river’s meander
Site Factors for Settlements:
Key resources
At a desert oasis
Site Factors for Settlements:
Trade Routes
• At a crossroads
Site Factors for Settlements:
Trade Routes
Site Factors for Settlements:
Defense
A hilltop city
Site Factors for Settlements:
Defense
New Orleans—The “Crescent City”
Walter Christaller Location Theory
The nested hexagons
show urban areas
with their
surrounding market
area (hinterland).
Hinterland is the
surrounding area
served by an urban
center
Walter Christaller Location Theory
A hamlet provides
some basic
services to the
people living there
and those nearby.
Walter Christaller Location Theory
A village is likely to
offer several dozen
services. There will
be some
specialization.
Walter Christaller Location Theory
A town is larger
than a village and
has a higher level
of specialization.
Walter Christaller Location Theory
A city has more
specialization and
a larger hinterland
than a town..
A ciy has suburbs while a
town has outskirts
Walter Christaller Location Theory
An urban hierarchy is a ranking of settlements
according to their size and functions.
Where do
you see
Christaller’s
Location
theory
work?
How are cities organized?
Traditional models of urban structure:
How are cities organized?
The Concentric Zone
Model reflects the
walking-horsecar
era--early 20th
century.
How are cities organized?
The Sector Model
reflects the
influence of
transportation
corridors.
How are cities organized?
The Multiple
Nuclei Model
reflects the
influence of the
automobile on
suburbanization
.
Present-day United States
metropolitan area.
The Galactic City