1. Vance’s Urban Realms Model
Rachel Boyd & Chloe Carter

3. History
As a means of improving upon the multiple nuclei model, the geographer James E. Vance, Jr. proposed the Urban-Realms Model in 1964.
Using this model, Vance was able to look at San Francisco's urban ecology and summarize economic processes into a sturdy model

4. About the Model
This model proposes that each realm is a separate economic, social, and political entity that is linked together to form the larger metropolitan framework.
The model shows that the central business district is losing its dominance

5. What is a Realm?
A realm is a self-sufficient urban area with an independent focal point
It is also referred to as an edge city
Each realm of the model is separate and used for a different purpose, but are linked together to make one large, fluid city.

6. The Nature of Each Realm is Based on 5 Criteria...
The physical terrain of the area, including water barriers and mountains.
The size of the metropolis as a whole.
The amount and strength of the economic activity taking place within each of the realms.
The accessibility internally of each realm in regards to its major economic function.
The inter-accessibility across the individual suburban realms.

7. What does it Include? This model includes…
A central city, which is the “new downtown” and the central business district
A suburban downtown
Edge Cities/Outer Realms
An airport

8. Why was it Invented?
The purpose of this model was to explain and predict changing urban growth patterns as the automobile became increasingly prevalent and large suburban “realms” emerged.
This model does a good job at explaining suburban growth and how certain functions that are normally found in the central business district can be moved to the suburbs

9. What is it Used for?
The Urban Realms Model constitutes the latest step in identifying and modelling the modern American urban structure.
It shows that the outer cities are not "satellites" of the central city, but are in fact becoming cities themselves and shaping the metropolis.

10. Citations