Central Place Theory

Abstract

Derived from the work of Walter Christaller, central place theory provides a clear and concise method for explaining, as well as planning, the location of centers that comprise a settlement system or are located within a city. Central place theory includes a number of assumptions and key concepts such as range and threshold , which are used to generate alternative hierarchical distributions of central places, including the marketing (k = 3), transport (k = 4), and administrative (k = 7) principles. While central place theory is a useful tool for analyzing the distribution of settlements, it does have some limitations.

Why Pandemics, Such as COVID-19, Require a Metropolitan Response

“…Several insights from geographic theory offer a path for investigating the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States in general and in its multi-county metropolitan areas in particular. Geographic theory suggests that (1) larger cities and metropolitan areas are more globalized and more interconnected with each other than smaller cities, towns, and villages [2][3][4][5][6]; (2) there is a hierarchy of 'central places' connecting villages to small towns, towns to smaller cities, smaller cities to larger ones, and larger cities to metropolitan areas [7,8]; (3) human settlements obey scaling laws, where larger settlements have more than their share of some attributes-pandemic volume and more specialized healthcare services included-than smaller places [9][10][11]; (4) multi-county metropolitan areas form single, integrated, and densely connected metropolitan labor markets [12]; and (5) ʺeverything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant thingsʺ, known as Tobler's First Law of Geography [13].…”

Why Pandemics, Such as COVID-19, Require a Metropolitan Response

“…Several insights from geographic theory offer a path for investigating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in general and in its multi-county metropolitan areas in particular. Geographic theory suggests that (1) larger cities and metropolitan areas are more globalized and more interconnected with each other than smaller cities, towns, and villages [2][3][4][5][6]; (2) there is a hierarchy of 'central places' connecting villages to small towns, towns to smaller cities, smaller cities to larger ones, and larger cities to metropolitan areas [7,8]; (3) human settlements obey scaling laws, where larger settlements have more than their share of some attributes-pandemic volume and more specialized healthcare services included-than smaller places [9][10][11]; (4) multi-county metropolitan areas form single, integrated, and densely connected metropolitan labor markets [12]; and (5) "everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things", known as Tobler's First Law of Geography [13].…”