Urban structure
Encyclopedia
Urban structure is the arrangement of land use in urban areas. Sociologists, economist
s, and geographer
s have developed several models, explaining where different types of people and businesses tend to exist within the urban setting. Three models are described in this article. Urban structure can also refer to the urban spatial structure
, which concerns the arrangement of public and private space in cities and the degree of connectivity and accessibility.
, the grid plan is called Hippodamian plan.
, it was created by sociologist Ernest Burgess
in 1924. According to this model, a city
grows outward from a central point in a series of rings. The innermost ring represents the central business district
. It is surrounded by a second ring, the zone of transition, which contains industry and poorer-quality housing. The third ring contains housing for the working-class and is called the zone of independent workers' homes. The fourth ring has newer and larger houses usually occupied by the middle-class. This ring is called the zone of better residences. The outermost ring is called the commuter's zone. This zone represents people who choose to live in residential suburbs and take a daily commute into the CBD to work.
. His model, the sector model, proposed that a city develops in sectors instead of rings. Certain areas of a city are more attractive for various activities, whether by chance or geographic and environmental reasons. As the city grows and these activities flourish and expand outward, they do so in a wedge and become a sector of the city. If a district is set up for high income housing, for example, any new development in that district will expand from the outer edge.
To some degree this theory is just a refinement on the concentric model rather than a radical restatement. Both Hoyt and Burgess claimed Chicago
supported their model. Burgess claimed that Chicago's central business district was surrounded by a series of rings, broken only by Lake Michigan
. Hoyt argued that the best housing developed north from the central business district along Lake Michigan, while industry located along major rail lines and roads to the south, southwest, and northwest.
Calgary, Alberta almost perfectly fits Hoyt's sector model.
that characterizes the stage of "Transition from village to city" especially in Third World
. This urban model is due to lack of planning or construction and illegal without a specific order. This urban model is very suitable for ancient cities, particularly in Africa, South America or Asia and some few places in Europe.
) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America
this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown
" or "city center". "City centre" is commonly used in Britain
and Canada
.
, "Secondary Central business districts" develop alongside the Central business district.
, industrial parks are usually known as industrial estates. In the United Kingdom
small industrial parks containing multiple units all of the same style are known as trading estates. A more "lightweight" version is the business park
or office park, which has offices and light industry, rather than heavy industry.
, urban open space is open space
areas for “parks”, “green spaces”, and other open areas. The landscape of urban open spaces can range from playing field
s to highly maintained environments to relatively natural landscapes. They are commonly open to public access
, however, urban open spaces may be privately owned. Areas outside of city boundaries, such as state
and national park
s as well as open space in the countryside, are not considered urban open space. Streets, piazzas, plazas and urban squares are not always defined as urban open space in land use planning.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
s, and geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
s have developed several models, explaining where different types of people and businesses tend to exist within the urban setting. Three models are described in this article. Urban structure can also refer to the urban spatial structure
Urban spatial structure
Urban spatial structure or urban structure refers to a cluster of concepts concerned with the arrangement of urban public space. The way that urban public space is arranged affects many aspects of how cities function and has implications for accessibility, environmental sustainability, safety,...
, which concerns the arrangement of public and private space in cities and the degree of connectivity and accessibility.
Grid model
The grid plan, grid street plan or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid. In the context of the culture of Ancient GreeceAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, the grid plan is called Hippodamian plan.
Zonal model
This model was the first to explain distribution of social groups within urban areas. Based on one single city, ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, it was created by sociologist Ernest Burgess
Ernest Burgess
Ernest Watson Burgess was an urban sociologist born in Tilbury, Ontario. He was educated at Kingfisher College in Oklahoma and continued graduate studies in sociology at the University of Chicago. In 1916, he returned to the University of Chicago, as a faculty member. Burgess was hired as an...
in 1924. According to this model, a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
grows outward from a central point in a series of rings. The innermost ring represents the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. It is surrounded by a second ring, the zone of transition, which contains industry and poorer-quality housing. The third ring contains housing for the working-class and is called the zone of independent workers' homes. The fourth ring has newer and larger houses usually occupied by the middle-class. This ring is called the zone of better residences. The outermost ring is called the commuter's zone. This zone represents people who choose to live in residential suburbs and take a daily commute into the CBD to work.
Sectoral model
A second theory of urban structure was proposed in 1939 by an economist named Homer HoytHomer Hoyt
Homer Hoyt was a land economist, a real estate appraiser, and a real estate consultant. In his long and accomplished life, he conducted path-breaking research on land economics, developed an influential approach to the analysis of neighborhoods and housing markets, refined local area economic...
. His model, the sector model, proposed that a city develops in sectors instead of rings. Certain areas of a city are more attractive for various activities, whether by chance or geographic and environmental reasons. As the city grows and these activities flourish and expand outward, they do so in a wedge and become a sector of the city. If a district is set up for high income housing, for example, any new development in that district will expand from the outer edge.
To some degree this theory is just a refinement on the concentric model rather than a radical restatement. Both Hoyt and Burgess claimed Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
supported their model. Burgess claimed that Chicago's central business district was surrounded by a series of rings, broken only by Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. Hoyt argued that the best housing developed north from the central business district along Lake Michigan, while industry located along major rail lines and roads to the south, southwest, and northwest.
Calgary, Alberta almost perfectly fits Hoyt's sector model.
Multiple nuclei model
Geographers C.D. Harris and E. L. Ullman developed the multiple nuclei model in 1945. According to this model, a city contains more than one center around which activities revolve. Some activities are attracted to particular nodes while others try to avoid them. For example, a university node may attract well-educated residents, pizzerias, and bookstores, whereas an airport may attract hotels and warehouses. Incompatible land use activities will avoid clustering in the same area, explaining why heavy industry and high-income housing rarely exist in the same neighbourhood.Irregular pattern model
Irregular pattern model is an arrangement of Public spacePublic space
A public space is a social space such as a town square that is open and accessible to all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. One of the earliest examples of public spaces are commons. For example, no fees or paid tickets are required for entry, nor are the entrants...
that characterizes the stage of "Transition from village to city" especially in Third World
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
. This urban model is due to lack of planning or construction and illegal without a specific order. This urban model is very suitable for ancient cities, particularly in Africa, South America or Asia and some few places in Europe.
Central business district
A central business district (CBD, also called a central activities districtActivity centre
Activity centre is a term used in urban planning and design for a mixed-use urban area where there is a concentration of commercial and other land uses...
) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
" or "city center". "City centre" is commonly used in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Secondary Central business district
in big cities or MetropolisMetropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
, "Secondary Central business districts" develop alongside the Central business district.
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. In Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, industrial parks are usually known as industrial estates. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
small industrial parks containing multiple units all of the same style are known as trading estates. A more "lightweight" version is the business park
Business park
A business park or office park is an area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. All of the work that goes on is commercial, not industrial or residential....
or office park, which has offices and light industry, rather than heavy industry.
Urban open space
In land use planningLand use planning
Land-use planning is the term used for a branch of public policy encompassing various disciplines which seek to order and regulate land use in an efficient and ethical way, thus preventing land-use conflicts. Governments use land-use planning to manage the development of land within their...
, urban open space is open space
Open space reserve
Open space reserve, open space preserve, and open space reservation, are planning and conservation ethics terms used to describe areas of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside...
areas for “parks”, “green spaces”, and other open areas. The landscape of urban open spaces can range from playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...
s to highly maintained environments to relatively natural landscapes. They are commonly open to public access
Public space
A public space is a social space such as a town square that is open and accessible to all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. One of the earliest examples of public spaces are commons. For example, no fees or paid tickets are required for entry, nor are the entrants...
, however, urban open spaces may be privately owned. Areas outside of city boundaries, such as state
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
and national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s as well as open space in the countryside, are not considered urban open space. Streets, piazzas, plazas and urban squares are not always defined as urban open space in land use planning.
Road structure
The arrangement of streets and large thoroughfares in cities can be further divided into various arrangements throughout the different regions of the world. The structure of the roads themselves is usually representative of the dominant culture of the region. Roads and Streets are used as a Skeleton of the city.- Europe: A ringed weblike structure is typically found in European cities. Medieval European towns were typically constructed around a church or cathedralCathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
. Cities founded prior to Christian influence were built around temples and other structures of cultural significance. Roads usually radiate outward from this central nucleus. The very centre of towns dating back to Roman times can be based on the grid pattern of a Roman Castra. This is the case for ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
- North America: A gridlike pattern is common in North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n cities, which unlike European Cities, are typically built around a central business district. Early colonial cities such as BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
show a hybrid of the central nucleus structure and the grid structure. In Southwestern cities such as PhoenixPhoenix, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, this grid structure is astoundingly apparent in aerial photographs of the urban area.