Concentric Zone Model Vs Conceptual Framework

CHAPTER TWO
2.0 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
It must be admitted that the linkage between theories and models is not an easy one to achieve. Theory is indispensable in meaningful model building as "the role of theory is to explain experimental findings and to predict new results. However, what is important for the development of models appropriate for concrete spatio-temporal contexts and decision settings is the synthesis of elements from the variety of available theories to help explain the dynamics and interactions between land use and the drivers of its change in the particular situation being studied.
It is however not deniable theorizing and modeling urban land use greatly help in simplifying complex

Originated by Earnest Burgess in the 1920s, the concentric zone model depicts the use of urban land as a set of concentric rings with each ring devoted to a different land use (see Figure 1). The model was based on Burgess’s observations of Chicago during the early years of the 20th century. Major routes of transportation emanated from the city’s core, making the CBD the most accessible location in the city. Burgess identified five rings of land use that would form around the CBD. These rings were originally defined as

While recognizing the value of the concentric ring model, Hoyt also observed some consistent patterns in many American cities. He observed, for example, that it was common for low-income households to be found in close proximity to railroad lines, and commercial establishments to be found along business thoroughfares. In 1939, Hoyt modified the concentric zone model to account for major transportation routes. Recall that most major cities evolved around the nexus of several important transport facilities such as railroads, sea ports, and trolley lines that emanated from the city's center. Recognizing that these routes (and later metropolitan expressways and interstate highways) represented lines of greater access, Hoyt theorized that cities would tend to grow in wedge-shaped patterns, or sectors, emanating from the CBD and centered on major transportation routes. Higher levels of access translate to higher land values. Thus, many commercial functions would remain in the CBD, but manufacturing activity would develop in a wedge surrounding transport routes. Residential land use patterns also would grow in wedge-shaped patterns with a sector of lower-income households bordering the manufacturing/ warehousing sector (traffic, noise and pollution making these less desirable locations to live) and sectors of middle- and higher-income households located away