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SSR3033:Theories & Techniques of Regional

Planning

Central Place Theory11th October 2016

Objectives

• To describe the basic foundation of Central Place Theory;

• To explain the terminologies of population threshold, market range, hierarchy of goods and services and complimentary region;

• To explain how these concepts are used in Central Place Theory

Central Place Theory

• A spatial theory in urban geography, used to explain the locational pattern, by focusing on:– Distribution pattern– Size– Number of cities in town

• Developed by Walter Christaller (1933)

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Central Place Theory: Assumptionshumans will always purchase goods from the closest place that offers the good

whenever demand for a certain good is high, it will be offered in close proximity to the population. When demand drops, so too does the availability of the good.

The market areas of the larger towns and the smaller towns is overlapping. All market areas of the smaller towns is also market areas for the larger towns.Evenly distributed population

with equal buying power of individual

The market area: to distribute goods & services is hexagonal in shape

transportation costs equal in all directions and proportional to distance

Terminologies & ConceptsCentral Place Theory put emphasis on two concepts i.e. threshold and range [of good & services]

Threshold population

Complimentary region Hierarchy of goods and services

Market Range

Threshold Population• The minimum number of population needed to

support a type of service

• Ranges from 250 population for a small shop to 150,000 for a cinema

• • If the number of population is below the threshold

number, the service may experience loss and have to close down

• • If the number population exceeds the threshold

number, the service may see profit.

• Example: A cinema that needs at least 500 audience per night will need at least 182,500 population IF the average of frequenting the service is once a year. But if the average of frequenting is 4 times a year, 45, 625 population is enough.

• Population threshold is different from one service to another. Example of Malaysian planning standard: Small post office: 3000 – 15,000 population, surau: at least 200 Muslims.

• What is the importance of the concept of population threshold?

Market Range• The distance that an individual willing to

travel to obtain certain services in the central place.

• The concept of economic distance is used – taking the factors of cost, distance and the time spent to travel

• Is divided into 3 ranges: – Furthest from the actual distance (upper limit /

ideal distance)– The actual distance (real limit)– The nearest distance (lower limit)

Market Range

• Market range is the outer limit where a service can be obtained within a comfortable range. After this limit, the population will be attracted to another centre.

• An individual may be ready to travel further distance to obtain better jeweleries, mobile phones and clothing but for the case of salt, sugar and cigarette, they will prefer to go to the local store.

Jarak pemisah sebenar bg belian barang R

X

Jarak terdekat (takat penduduk) bagi belian brg R ke pusat B dan C

Jarak terjauh (ideal) pembelian brg R ke C

Jarak terjauh (ideal) pembelian brg R ke B

Distance of market range

Petempatan pusat CSaiz: 10,000 org

Petempatan pusat BSaiz: 10,000 org

Market range: the average maximum distance people will travel to purchase goods and services

Threshold: the minimum population that is required to bring about the provision of certaingood or services

Central Place Theory• each central place

will have a circular market area as shown in C

• But it has either un-served areas or over-served areas.

• Christaller suggested the hexagonal shape

hierarchy• The different orders of settlements arrange

themselves in a hierarchy.• Within a given area there will be fewer high order

cities and towns in relation to the lower order villages and hamlets.

• theoretically the settlements will be equidistance from each other.

• Generally speaking lower is the order, larger is the number of settlements and higher the order, greater is the area served

hierarchy• Basically there 4 groups of homogeneous

services:

– Repairing physical objects – Distribution and transportation of goods – Processing and delivering information;

which includes organizations, administrations & academic institutions

– Entertaining individual needs or many – security and health services

hierarchy

Also refers to the quality of products and services. Basically divided into 3 main orders:

– Higher order (car trading, emporium, mall, electrical shops, HQ, stadiums and more)

– Medium order (clothing stores, furniture stores, restaurant, post office)

– Lower order (grocery stores, food stalls, barber shop, primary school, small mosque, police stand small towns, rural centre)

Hierarchy of goods & services• The determination of goods according to order is

arbitrary

• To develop an order, one should list down all the available services in all smallest towns and large towns in a state (country).

• If the hierarchy is sorted numerically, then there will be goods or services numbered 1 – 99.

• Assuming 3 groups of order: item numbered 1 – 33 (higher order), 34 – 66 (medium order) & 67 – 99 (lower order)

HIERARCHY OF GOODS AND SERVICES

Status of settlement

Order of Services

1 – 30 31 – 64 65 – 79 80 – 89 90 – 100

MetropolisCityTownSmall townRural centre

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CENTRAL PLACE THEORY

• A centre will offer goods and services to occupants that surrounds it – market range with threshold

• Population from the complementary region will visit the centre to market their products. Therefore, there is 2 way communication between the centre with the complementary region.

• However, the boundary to determine the complementary region is somehow difficult to determine as it may overlaps with the complementary region of the nearest neighbor.

COMPLEMENTARY REGION

summary

• Central place theory – its assumptions• 4 main concepts:– Threshold population– Market range– Hierarchy of goods and services– Complimentary region