Geography Project on Christaller’s Central Place Theory

What is the theory about ? seeks to explain the size and spacing of human settlement suggests that there are laws determining the number, size and distribution of towns

The principle of Christaller Three different arrangements of Central Places Theory: The Marketing Principle (K=3) The Transportation Principle (K=4) The Administrative Principle (K=7)

The principle of Christaller 1. price, demand 2. distance, Demand With longer distance, people need to pay more transportation cost, the higher price they have to pay. The maximum distance over which people will travel to purchase Range of goods The minimum population that is required to bring about the offering of the goods. Threshold population.

Modern Development in transport and marketing Development of railway For example, Yuen Long West Rail LRT

Development of highway Route 3 Yuen Long Highway

Wide spread of Internet E- Shops E- Bank Internet auction Business forum Exhibition E-commerce

新永隆米行 E-Shop?!!!!

You can trade on the Internet by using our e-banking services.

Development of ancillary services for example, Consultants ,Advertising agencies ,Delivering services….etc You want to open a firm? We can help you!!

You would like to send your products to customers? Find us!!! We provide professional advertising services.

Internet auction

Example…… This shop’s brand name is widely spread So, even people living in Hong Kong Island would like to travel a rather long distance to Yuen Long to enjoy the food Can you guess which shop we are talking about???

What is the effect of these development then???

1.Change in location not locate at centre of a territory anymore. Locates at transport network Reason: to enlarge market area, because mobility of customers rise

2. Change in range of goods: There are more high order centers and less smaller markets Reason: High order centers include both high and low order goods

Seller of a small local shop Let me buy all the goods I need at one go!!! Buyer Seller of a small local shop It’s time to say bye bye…

What thing does it would like to illustrate? Multi-purpose trip. It means that in weekends or holidays, people will purchase a full range of goods in one single journey. Demand for higher order town But Demand for lower order town and finally they will be eliminated through keen competition

3.Existence of E-commerce A seller says “I can make profits too here, even though no customers comes~!!!!”

Some sellers rather choose to stay at place with low-rent price, why??? Because of the existence of computer~!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Customers can buy goods and services via internet easily. They can just sitting arm-chair and order goods and they will be delivered to their place. This is used very often for standardized goods.

Conclusions that can be made The larger the settlements, the fewer their number The larger a settlement, the farther away a similar size settlement is The Range increases as the population increases The larger the settlement, the higher the order of its services.

Evaluation on CPT Production cost may vary Transportation cost are not equal in different direction Rural market is not evenly distributed Cultural, political, personal perception or else, factors other than economic may be important too

Here’s come to a question…… Can Christaller’s Central Place Theory still apply to the real world situation nowadays????? Yes certainly!!!!!!!!!

Example on K=3

Examples on K=4 Cambridge in UK Consider Cambridge as a central place Surrounded by 7, rather than 6, settlements Each is 10-15 miles from Cambridge As all of the satellite settlements are on transport links, this is a good example of a K=4 CPT model

Cambridge Ely St Ives Newmarket St Neots Haverhill Royston Saffron Walden

What can we learn form CPT??? Urban planning For society to ensure equal provision of goods and services Provides specific, relevant, reliable information to economic developers, suppliers what kind of trade or service enterprise will and also will not likely work!!!

Members List Jane Lam Lai Fa Joanne Chu Chung Yan Ryan Chan Kin Ho Gary Kwan Tsz Chung

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