Chapter 12 Section 4 Why do services cluster downtown?

CBD Throughout much of modern history, services of all types have clustered in the center of the city This is usually called downtown Geographers call it the Central Business District or CBD A lot of services in the past three decades have been moving to suburban locations

CBD The center of a city is usually the oldest part It is compact It has buildings with many stories It occupies less than 1 percent of the urban land but contains a large percentage of shops and businesses Government and public services tend to be centered there Consumer and business services are also drawn there

CBD Three main types of retail/consumer services are in the CBD – Retail services with a high threshold – Retail services with a high range – Retail services that serve the people working in the CBD

Clustering of Services CBDs also have lots of businesses and have lots of business services Government buildings are often located there- town/city hall, courthouse- and public services are centered there Land costs a lot in the CBD There is little land- it must be maximized Use skyscrapers Lots of people per square mile

Clustering of Services Activities not in the CBD: – Less manufacturing than in the past – Fewer residents (in the 1950s and on, many started moving to the suburbs and commuting – In the US, CBDs lot manufacturing jobs and residents and parts became the “inner-city” dominated by minorities – Lately, enrichment and revitalization efforts have been used in many cities to REVIVE the CBDs – Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t (Fayetteville, NC)

Clustering of Services Central business district (CBD) – Retail services in the CBD – High land costs in the CBD – Activities excluded from the CBD – European CBDs Suburbanization of businesses – Suburbanization of retailing – Suburbanization of factories and offices

CBD of Charlotte, NC Fig : Charlotte’s CBD is dominated by retail and office buildings. Public and semipublic buildings are also in the downtown area.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Faneuil Hall, Boston Faneuil Hall Marketplace was originally built in 1742 and was renovated in the 1970s into a popular retail center.

European CBDs Older More smaller, historical buildings More churches More winding streets Less commercial

Dublin, Ireland Retail services in Grafton Street, Dublin. European cities have retained consumer services in the CBD.

London, England St. Paul’s Cathedral, designed in 1673, dominates the skyline of central London

American CBDs and Suburbanization Many businesses have moved to the suburbs as have many residents This is a core-periphery movement Easier access, cheaper land, more labor Much retailing has moved there Factories and offices have been moving there There is a revitalization movement in many CBDs and more and more young professionals are moving into cities (this is a new phenomena for this millennia)

Retail Centers in Atlanta Fig : Most shopping malls in Atlanta and other cities are in the suburbs. The ideal location is near an interchange on an interstate highway beltway circling the city.

Shopping Center, Syracuse, N.Y. Suburban shopping mall in Syracuse, N.Y. Retail services in most American cities have moved to suburban malls.

“Daily Urban Systems” Fig : The Commerce Department divided the US into “daily urban systems” with functional ties, especially commuting to the nearest metropolitan area.

LDCs versus MDCs MDCs have seen CBDs change At first, central part of city- most expensive Later, some people/industry move out- mostly business left Move to suburbs Sometimes inner-city ghettos created Today, many are being rejuvenated

LDCs versus MDCs In LDCs, the CBD tend to still be central in power and wealth The power live outside