The Internal Structure of Cities
Introduced| English |
|---|
| Central Business District/ˈsentrəl ˈbɪznəs ˈdɪstrɪkt/ |
| concentric zone model/kənˈsentrɪk zəʊn ˈmɒdl/ |
| sector model/ˈsektə ˈmɒdl/ |
| multiple nuclei model/ˈmʌltɪpl ˈnjuːklɪi ˈmɒdl/ |
Three classic models
- Three models describe how North American cities are arranged inside.
- All are built around the Central Business District 中央商务区 (CBD).
- Each explains land use in a different way.
The commercial heart of the city that all three models centre on is the Central Business ____.
The Central Business District (CBD) is the commercial core.
Select all classic North American urban models.
Concentric, sector, and multiple nuclei are city models; rank-size is about city sizes.
Concentric zone and sector
- The concentric zone model 同心圆模型 (Burgess) has rings around the CBD.
- The sector model 扇形模型 (Hoyt) grows in wedges along transport routes.
- Both put the CBD at the centre but organise the rest differently.
Which urban model?
Sort each description by its urban model.
The urban model with several separate centres, not one CBD, is the...
The multiple nuclei model has several hubs.
The sector model grows in wedges along transport routes.
Hoyt's sector model organises land into transport-aligned wedges.
Match each model to its creator/idea.
Concentric = Burgess rings; sector = Hoyt wedges; multiple nuclei = Harris-Ullman.
Multiple nuclei
- The multiple nuclei model 多核心模型 (Harris-Ullman) has several centres, not one.
- As a city grows and specialises, new hubs (an airport, a university) form.
- Developing-world cities have their own models too (e.g. the Latin American model).
These are models of North American cities, and each highlights one idea: rings (Burgess), wedges (Hoyt), or many centres (Harris-Ullman). They simplify reality — real cities mix all three, and developing-world cities follow different models. Use them to compare, not to describe every city.
A city where an airport district and a separate university town each grow their own cluster of hotels and shops, rather than everything radiating from one downtown, fits the multiple nuclei model — several centres, not a single CBD ringed by zones.
Three North American city models centre on the CBD: concentric zone (rings, Burgess), sector (wedges along transport, Hoyt), and multiple nuclei (several centres, Harris-Ullman). They simplify reality; developing-world cities follow different models.