Urban Patterns Ch. 9

Why are Services Cluster Downtown

The Central Business District (CBD) Downtown city areas Very compact but contains a large percentage of public, business and consumer services Easiest part of the city to reach Oldest district, usually near origin of the settlement

Services are attracted to the CBD because of its accessibility Grand Central Station LA Coming soon to LA? CBD’s are located at the heart of transportation networks; larger cities often feature specialized CBD transportation, like subways or trolleys.

FIGURE: CBD OF WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA

Competition for Space in CBD’s Les Cours Mont-Royal centre Montreal Competition for Space in CBD’s High demand for the limited space in the CBD has encouraged vertical development Underground CBD Skyscrapers Made possible by Elevator Steel Artificial lighting Air-conditioning

First skyscrapers were built in Chicago in the 1880s, made possible from several inventions, including the elevator, steel girders, and glass structures because they blocked light and air movement. Image: The Home Insurance Building completed in 1885 and located on the corner of Adams and La Salle Streets in Chicago, Illinois , went down in history as the worlds first modern skyscraper. Designed by engineer William LeBron Jenney. The Home Insurance Building stood until 1931, when it was demolished to make way for another skyscraper, the Field Building (now known as the LaSalle Bank Building).

Distribution of People in Urban Areas

Models of Urban Structure: A. Concentric Zone Model by Burgess Concentric Zone Model was the first to explain the distribution of different social groups within urban areas Model suggests that a city grows outward from a central area in a series of concentric rings These rings surround the CBD

Concentric Zone Model by Burgess Non residential activities are concentrated Industry and low income housing Working class homes, Modest older houses occupied by working class families Spacious homes for middle class families Beyond the continuous built up area of the city, where people live in small communities and commute to work.

Geographic Applications of the Models: Concentric Zones in Houston

Models of Urban Structure: B. Sector Model by Hoyt The Sector Model suggests a city develops in a series of sectors, not rings. As a city grows, activities expand outward in a wedge, or sector, from the center.

City grows in a series of wedges or corridors which extend out from the CBD Certain areas of the city are more attractive for various activities, originally because of an environmental factor or even by chance Best housing is found in a corridor extending from downtown to the outer edge of the city. Industry and retailing activities develop around good transportation lines Sector Model by Hoyt

Geographic Applications of the Models: Sector Model in Houston

Models of Urban Structure:. C Models of Urban Structure: C. Multiple Nuclei Model by Harris and Ullman The Multiple Nuclei Model suggests a city is a complex structure that includes more than one center around which activities revolve. Ex: ports, universities, parks, airports

Multiple nuclei model by Harris and Ullman Theory states sine activities are attracted to particular nodes, whereas others try to avoid them. Ex. A university node may attract well educated residents, pizzerias, bookstores, whereas an airport may attract hotels and warehouses On the other hand heavy industry and high income housing rarely exist in the same neighborhood

Geographic Applications of the Models: Multiple Nuclei Model in Houston

Limitation of the Models None of the three models explain why different types of people live in distinctive parts of a city Models may be too simple and fail to consider the variety of reasons that lead people to select particular residential locations. Critics question the relevance to contemporary urban patterns Combining the models better assist geographers in explaining where different types of people live in a city.

Applying Models in Europe Less dominated by skyscrapers (restricted) Sectors In Europe, the wealthy still live in the inner portions of the upper- class sector (not the suburbs) Concentric Zones In Europe, most of the new housing built in the suburbs is high-rise apt buildings for low-income people and recent immigrants

Wealthy people live in inner circle Best shops, restaurants, cafes, culture in the city center Poor people live on the outskirts of city High rise, space saving structures to avoid urban sprawl FIGURE 13-17 SECTORS IN PARIS, FRANCE Wealthier people live in the center and to the southwest sector, often above sidewalk cafés and other consumer services.

European Cities: Paris – Concentric Zones

European Cities: Paris –Sectors As in U.S. urban areas, higher- income people cluster in a sector in the Paris region

European Cities: Paris – Multiple Nuclei In contrast to U.S. urban areas, most ethnic and racial minorities reside in the suburbs of Paris.

Applying Models in Developing Countries The poor are accommodated in suburbs. Informal settlements/squatter settlements The wealthy live near the center of the city, as well as in a sector extending from the center.

Stages of Cities in Developing Countries: Precolonial Cities Before the Europeans established colonies, most people lived in rural settlements There were only a few principal cities in Latin America, Asia and Africa Ex: Tenochtitlan, Mexico (present-day now Mexico City)

Stages of Cities in Developing Countries: Colonial Cities European colonizers expanded existing cities to provide colonial services Since independence, cities have become the focal points of change, often attracting millions of migrants in search of work. Has lead to an uneven population distribution

The South American City SA cities blend traditional elements of SA culture with globalization forces that are reshaping the urban scene, combining radial sectors and concentric zones The thriving CBD anchors the model Shantytowns are unplanned groups of crude dwellings that develop around cities