Central Place theory in Crabgrass Frontier

Central Place theory in Crabgrass Frontier

Crabgrass Frontier: Suburbanization of United States is the book written by Kenneth T. Jackson. This book was published in 1985, which analyzes development of suburban America from its origins in 19th century. Jackson examines how the high quality of life in America became synonymous with home ownership in low-density residential areas separated from urban workplace. Extensively researched and referenced, book takes into account factors that promoted suburbanization, such as availability of cheap land, construction methods and transportation as well as federal subsidies for highways and suburban housing.

Jackson tries to interpret broadly experience of American suburbs, which he sees as unique. States that " United States has so far been unique in four important facets that can be summarized in following judgment: Americans wealthy and middle class dwelling in suburban areas that are far from their workplaces, in dwellings they own, and in middle of backbackyard which built-up standards in another place are enormous. This singularity implies, then, population density, home ownership, residential status, and work trip to "His working definition of suburbs has four components:. Function (non-agricultural, residential), class (state and higher), separation (the. daily commute), and density (low relative to older sections) are also dominant in book is idea that wealthy people began flight of first city - something middle class finally emulated as the city tax rate increased gradually to pay resulting urban problems - such as poorer classes are held in most central urban area.

Central place theory is the geographical theory that seeks to explain number, size and location of human settlements in an urban system. Theory was created by German geographer Walter Christaller, who said settlement services operated only as "central places" to provide surrounding areas.

Construction == == theory to develop theory, Christaller made following simplifying assumptions:

• An unlimited isotropic (all levels), homogeneous surface, without limits (abstract space)

•An even circulation of population

• All settlements are equidistant and exist in the triangular lattice pattern

• Evenly distributed resources

• Distance decay mechanism

• Perfect competition and sellers of all men are to maximize economic benefits

• Consumers have same level of income and buying habits of

• All consumers have similar purchasing power and demand for goods and services

• Consumers visit places closer to central demand. They provides function to minimize distance traveled

• Any goods or services provider is able to obtain benefits in excess (each provider has the monopoly on an area of influence)

Therefore commercial areas of these central places providing the particular good or service should be of equal size

• There is only one type of transport and this could just as easily in all directions

• Cost of transport is proportional to distance traveled in example, greater distance traveled, greater transportation cost

Theory then was based on two concepts: threshold and range.

• Threshold is minimum market (population or income) needed to carry out sale of the particular good or service.

• Range is maximum distance consumers are willing to travel to acquisition of property - at some point cost ...