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Study unit 4Models of urban structure and morphological structure of cities.

Burgess Concentric Model.

 This model was developed in the early 1920s by a sociologist, Ernest Burgess.
 Burgess's main goal was to describe residential structures.
 The model captures the important elements of social ordering of industrial cities in the early
20th century.
 This model is based on the idea that land values are highest in the center of a town or city
and decrease as you move further away.
 The Burgess concentric zone model was first used in Chicago, USA.

The Five Concentric Zones.

1. Central Business District (CBD):

 Commercial hub, high land value, business activities.

2. Transition zone:
 Mixed land use, industrial activities, poor housing.

3. Working-class residential zone:

 Modest housing, factory workers live here.

4. Middle-class residential zone:

 Better quality homes, suburban expansion.

5. Commuter zone:
 Wealthiest residents, large houses, low population density.

Residential Patterns in Each Zone.

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 Central Business District (CBD):

 Few residents due to high land costs and commercial dominance.

Transition zone:

 High density, low-income housing; often overcrowded.

Working class zone:

 Small houses, close-knit communities, affordable lifestyle.

Middle class zone:

 Detached houses, gardens, lower population density than inner zones.

Commuting zone:

 Spacious houses, low population density, more affluent residents.

Does a Contemporary City Look Like Burgess's Model?

Similarities with Modern Cities:

CBD remains dominant:

 Most cities still have a central commercial core.

Transition zones exist:

 Areas near the city center often experience urban renewal or decay.

Suburban expansion continues:

 Middle and upper-class residents are still moving outward.

Limitations of Burgess's Model Today:

Decentralization:

 Many cities now have several business districts (e.g. Sandton in Johannesburg).

Urban distribution:

 Growth does not always occur in concentric circles, but extends outward due to highways
and transportation.

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 Gentrification and informal settlements:

 Changing residential patterns do not always follow Burgess's structure.

How Modern Cities Look Like and Differ from Burgess's Model.

Similarities:

 Commercial and economic coreis still in the middle.

 Transition zoneswith redevelopment and industrial activities.
 Outer zones remain residential,but with greater diversity in housing.

Differences:

 "Edge Cities":New business districts are forming outside the traditional city center.
 Improved transportation:Freeways, subways and remote work reduce the importance of
proximity to the CBD.
 Social and economic factors:Migration, gentrification and informal settlements are changing
urban layouts.

Hoyt's Sector Model.

 The Hoyt sector model is an urban model that focuses on how cities develop around
transportation routes and industries, rather than in concentric circles as in Burgess's model.

Zones in the Hoyt Sector Model:

1. Central Business District (CBD):

 The commercial and economic hub of the city.

2. Transport and Industry:

 Industrial areas are developing along important transport routes.

3. Low-class residential zone:

 Cheaper housing near industrial areas.

4. Middelkla residential zone:

 Better quality housing further away from industries.

5. High-class residential zone:

 Luxury homes in the most exclusive areas of the city.

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 Hoyt's Sector Model:

 The Hoyt sector model is an urban land use model proposed in 1939 by land economist
Homer Hoyt.
 This model focuses primarily on transportation corridors (roads).

Important Features of the Hoyt Sector Model:

 Adaptation of Burgess's model:This is a modification of the concentric zone model and

emphasizes how transportation plays a crucial role in urban patterns.
 Advantages:This model allows for an organized and gradual expansion of the city.
 The basic idea of Hoyt's sector model is that as the town grew, the highest income groups
moved into new homes in new neighborhoods.
 These new houses were located on the periphery of the town and along transport routes.

Why does Hoyt prefer sectors to circles?

Key idea:

 Hoyt's sector model (1939) challenges Burgess's concentric zone model by emphasizing
growth along transportation routes rather than in rings.

Reasons for using sectors:

1. Urban growth follows transportation routes:

 Cities expand along roads, railways and rivers, not in perfect circles.
2. Land use is uneven:

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 High-income housing often develops in specific directions, not evenly around the city center.

3. Industry and low-income housing aligned with transportation:

 Factories and working-class areas grow along railroads and highways.

4. Richer areas avoid pollution:

 Affluent neighborhoods tend to develop away from industrial sectors.

Why did people move further away from the city center?

Reasons to move away:

 Desire for space and better living conditions:Congestion and pollution in the city
center have pushed residents out.
 Industrialization:Factories caused noise and pollution, making central areas less
desirable for housing.
 Social class and income growth:Wealthier individuals sought quieter, greener
suburbs.

What made this movement possible?

 Improved transportation:Cars, buses, and trains allowed people to commute from

further distances.
 Urban planning and zoning:Suburban developments are designed to
accommodate growing populations.
 Economic opportunities:New commercial centers and jobs have developed
outside the city center, reducing the need to live centrally.

TheHarris and Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model.

Important Elements of the Multiple Nuclei Model:

1. Central Business District (CBD):The traditional commercial and financial center.

2. Bulk and manufacturing districts:Areas where factories, warehouses and industrial
activity are concentrated.
3. Low-Class Residential Zones:Areas with affordable housing for working-class residents,
often near industrial sectors.
4. Middle-Class Residential Zones:Slightly further from the CBD, with more space and better
housing than the working class zones.
5. High-Class Residential Zones:Wealthy neighborhoods located on the outskirts of the city,
often near green spaces.
6. Heavy Industrial Areas:Focus on industries that require large amounts of space and
resources.

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7. External Business Centers:Sub-centers or economic nodes located on the outskirts of the
city.
8. Residential Suburbs:Middle to upper-class suburbs that develop in areas outside the
dense city center.
9. Industrial Suburbs:Areas where industry is expanding into the suburbs as cities expand
into the outskirts.

 The Harris and Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model (1945) is an important urban model that
challenges both the Burgess and Hoyt models.
 In this model, cities do not grow in concentric circles or sectors, but develop around several
centers (or nuclei), each serving different functions.
 According to them, the Central Business District (CBD) is no longer the sole center of an
urban area.
 Cities grow around multiple nuclei or centers that arise in different locations within the
metropolitan area, depending on various factors such as transportation, industrial location,
and housing needs.
 The theory was formed based on the idea that people have greater mobility due to
increased car ownership.

Reasons for the Multiple Nuclei Model:

Specialized Centers:

 Cities develop various functional centers based on industry, housing and commerce.
 This approach takes into account the fact that urban activities have different spatial needs.

Urban Growth is More Complex:

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 Growth occurs not only outside the CBD, but around various centers or nuclei, as
transportation routes and industries shape the city's distribution.

Criticism of the Multiple Nuclei Model:

Over-Simplification:

 Although the model accounts for multiple centers, it does not always take into account how
closely these nuclei are connected to each other.

Lack of Detail on Social Factors:

 The model focuses primarily on the physical expansion of the city, leaving out social factors
such as race, class, and culture, which play a major role in urban growth.

Modern Cities May Not Fully Fit the Model:

 With technological advances and global trends, cities now tend to have even more
specialized functions or centers that may not quite fit into the categories listed by Harris and
Ullman.

Harris and Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model vs. Burgess and Hoyt Models:
How does the urban structure model of Harris and Ullman differ from the other two models
when it refers to the CBD?

Burgess Concentric Zone Model:

 Some dominant CBD:The Burgess model proposes that the city expands in circles around
one dominant CBD. The center of the city is the Central Business District (CBD), and the
zones around it have specific functions, from the CBD to the outer suburbs.
 Simple urban growth:The city's growth follows a clear, concentric pattern where each
zone's function in the expanding city is determined.

Hoyt Sector Model:

 Single CBD with sectoral expansion:Instead of a circular expansion, the Hoyt model
focuses on sectors of the city that grow along transportation routes. The CBD remains the
main hub, but there are sectors that expand along roads, railways, and other transportation
routes.
 Specialized sectors:This means that there is not a uniform expansion, but sectors intended
for different functions such as residential, industrial and commercial use.

Harris and Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model:

 Multiple cores:In contrast to both Burgess and Hoyt, Harris and Ullman propose the idea
that the city does not grow around a single CBD, but rather multiple center(s) or nuclei

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 emerge. This means that the city has several centers that function separately and do not
necessarily grow around the traditional CBD.
 Growth around different centers:This model emphasizes that individuals and activities
prefer different centers in the city, which can lead to a more specialized and complexly
organized urban structure, in contrast to the uniformity of the Burgess and Hoyt models.

Main differences:

 Burgess and Hoytboth have a single CBD model where the city expands around one
center.
 Harris and Ullman's model is the only one that emphasizes multiple cores, where the city
does not depend on one central CBD, but several centers emerge and the city's growth is
based on them.

CBD Features:

 Most accessible part of the city.

 Absence of residential population.
 Highest land value.
 Light manufacturers.
 Internal specialization in the city center.
 Most offices in the city.
 Most number of pedestrians.
 Largest number of retailers.
 Most traffic.

Street patterns:

1. Grill.
2. Radial/circular.
3. Irregular/unplanned.

1. (Grid Street Pattern)Rooster Street Pattern:

Features:
 Streets are divided into equal blocks that are square or rectangular.
 Most streets intersect at 90 degrees.
 Street lines that run straight across the area.

Advantages:
 Easy Navigation: The pattern makes it easy to move around the city, as it is predictable.
 Good Planning: It promotes planning and development of areas.

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 Transport and Communication: It improves access to different areas and increases the
efficiency of transport and services.

Disadvantages:

 Traffic pressure: In densely populated areas, the grid pattern can cause traffic congestion.
 Little Variation: This can limit the city's visual diversity, as the pattern is uniform.

2. Radial Concentric Street Pattern.

Features:
 The central business district (CBD) is the center of the pattern, and most main streets
radiate from it.
 Street routes radiate out from the CBD in radial patterns, facilitating access to the center.
 Around the CBD there are often other, more isolated circles or sectors, which promote
access from different zones to the center.
 There is often high traffic flow, which leads to often busy intersections and road usage.
 The further you move from the CBD, the more estimated secondary zones of residential and
industrial use will arise.

Advantages:
 Easy access to the center:Because the streets radiate in radial patterns, it is relatively
easy to access the CBD and other important zones.
 Traffic distribution:The radial pattern can often direct traffic from the outskirts to the center
and prevent traffic from becoming stuck within the city.
 Clear urban planning:The pattern helps to form clear boundaries, which makes planning
easier.
 Promote trade and business:Because the pattern has a strong focus on the CBD and its
surrounding areas, businesses can be easily reached by most people.

Disadvantages:

 Traffic concentration:Radial patterns often lead to the concentration of traffic in and

around the CBD, leading to severe traffic jams and congestion at certain times.

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 Limited flexibility:Cities built in a radial pattern may have difficulty creating new information
nodes outside the traditional center, which could place limitations on future growth.
 Pollution:Cities that follow this pattern can often have higher levels of pollution, especially
around the CBD where traffic is often congested.
 Social segregation:The pattern could lead to a greater demarcation between high-income
and low-income areas, with a clear separation of residential and commercial zones.

Figures1Paris

3. Irregular Street Patterns.

Features:

 Disorganized structure:Street networks in irregular patterns do not follow a fixed or

predictable pattern and can resemble a labyrinth of roads that have arisen spontaneously.
 Based on the terrain:This pattern is often dependent on the natural terrain and can adapt
to the topography of the land, such as mountains, rivers or other natural features.
 Few or no straight streets:Instead of straight, wide streets, irregular street patterns may be
curved or serpentine.
 Limited traffic management:Traffic flow cannot always be easily monitored or managed,
often leading to delays or traffic jams.
 Unplanned growth:Irregular patterns often occur in cities that did not arise according to
planning or design, but as a result of organic growth over time.

Advantages:

 Adaptation to natural terrain:Irregular street patterns can adapt well to the natural
topography, making better use of space and resources.
 Character and aesthetics:These street patterns can give a city a more unique and historic
character, which is sometimes considered aesthetically appealing.
 Improved safety:Street blocks and uneven roads can help reduce vehicle speeds, which
can improve safety.

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 Increased flexibility:Cities that have irregular street patterns can be flexible for adjustments
or changes depending on the growth of the city.

Disadvantages:

 Traffic jams and confusion:Irregular street networks can lead to confusion and traffic jams,
especially for people who don't know the city well.
 Limited navigation:It can be difficult for people to navigate directly to their destinations,
leading to a higher risk of traffic errors and uneven traffic flow.
 Limited efficiency in space use:Irregular patterns can sometimes be inefficient when it
comes to land use, as they do not plan space optimally.
 Difficult urban planning:The lack of an organized pattern can make it difficult to plan future
developments in the city or add new infrastructure.
 Increased costs:Adapting infrastructure or building facilities can be expensive, as the plan
is not established in advance.

Ring Road Systems in Cities:

Features:

 Circular routes:Ring road systems consist of a network of roads that loop around the city
center or central business district (CBD) of a city.
 Connecting roads:Ring roads often connect major highways or roads coming from outside
the city and connect various secondary routes within the city.
 Traffic download:Ring roads are often designed to relieve traffic moving through the central
city and redirect it to other parts of the city or surrounding town.
 Unloading and entry/exit paths:Ring road systems have exit and entrance roads that
promote traffic flow and facilitate movement between the city and the outskirts.

Advantages of Ring Road Systems:

 Traffic light:Ring roads help relieve traffic in the city center, reducing pressure on central
roads and allowing traffic to move faster.

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 Improved access to suburbs:Ring roads provide better access for people who want to
move from suburban areas to the city or vice versa.
 Reducing traffic pressure in the city centre:This reduces traffic pressure in the central
business district (CBD) and can help redirect traffic to other routes that do not pass through
the heart of the city.
 More effective planning:This can be useful in urban planning, as it is a centralized way to
manage and monitor traffic flow.
 Safer traffic:Ring roads can sometimes help reduce speeds in the central area, which can
lead to safer road conditions.

Disadvantages of Ring Road Systems:

 Increased traffic pressure on ring roads:While ring roads relieve traffic from the center,
this can lead to increased pressure on the ring road itself and congested roads.
 Higher costs for construction and maintenance:Building ring road systems can be
expensive, especially if they have to pass through densely populated cities and if many
infrastructure adjustments are needed.
 Reduced quality of life in environments:People living close to ring roads can be affected
by the noise and pollution from high traffic flows.
 Increased land use:The development of ring roads can lead to increased land use around
the road, which can sometimes lead to urban sprawl and less planned development.
 Limited flexibility for future changes:Ring road systems can make it difficult for cities to
be flexible for future urban planning or expansions.

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