Which urban growth model describes cities expanding in concentric rings around a central core?

Which urban growth model describes cities expanding in concentric rings around a central core?

• A. Burgess concentric model
• B. Hoyt sector model
• C. Multiple-nuclei model
• D. Central place theory

Answer: (A)

Cities expanding in circular bands around a center are described by the Burgess concentric model. It imagines the city with the central business district at the heart, followed by successive rings: a transitional zone with industry and poorer housing, then the working-class residential area, then higher-income residential areas, and finally a commuter belt at the outer edge. As the city grows, land values and accessibility shape these rings, producing a neat, concentric pattern around the center. This differs from the Hoyt sector model, where growth spreads in wedges along transport routes; the multiple-nuclei model, which suggests several centers rather than a single ring; and central place theory, which explains the distribution of settlements and services rather than outward circular expansion.

Cities expanding in circular bands around a center are described by the Burgess concentric model. It imagines the city with the central business district at the heart, followed by successive rings: a transitional zone with industry and poorer housing, then the working-class residential area, then higher-income residential areas, and finally a commuter belt at the outer edge. As the city grows, land values and accessibility shape these rings, producing a neat, concentric pattern around the center. This differs from the Hoyt sector model, where growth spreads in wedges along transport routes; the multiple-nuclei model, which suggests several centers rather than a single ring; and central place theory, which explains the distribution of settlements and services rather than outward circular expansion.