9.2 Urban systems and hierarchies

Urban systems are networks of interconnected cities and towns within a region or country. They're characterized by functional relationships and flows of people, goods, and information. The spatial organization of these systems is influenced by factors like transportation networks, economic activities, and historical development patterns.

Central Place Theory explains the spatial arrangement of cities based on the provision of goods and services. It predicts a hierarchical arrangement of settlements, with higher-order centers providing a greater variety of goods and services to larger market areas. This hierarchy shapes urban development and regional economies.

Urban Systems and Spatial Organization

Urban Systems and Their Characteristics

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• An urban system is a network of interconnected cities and towns within a specific region or country characterized by functional relationships, flows of people, goods, and information
• The spatial organization of urban systems is influenced by factors such as transportation networks, economic activities, political boundaries, and historical development patterns
• The concept of urban fields describes the area of influence surrounding a city, characterized by intense economic and social interactions between the city and its hinterland (rural areas)

Central Place Theory and Urban Hierarchy

• Central Place Theory, developed by Walter Christaller, explains the spatial arrangement of cities and towns in an urban system based on the provision of goods and services to surrounding areas
  • The theory assumes a uniform distribution of population and resources, and that consumers will visit the nearest center offering the required goods or services (grocery stores, hospitals)
  • It predicts a hierarchical arrangement of settlements, with higher-order centers providing a greater variety of goods and services to larger market areas (regional shopping malls, specialized medical centers)

Urban Hierarchy Levels

Lower-Order Centers

• Hamlets and villages are the lowest level in the urban hierarchy characterized by small populations, limited economic activities, and a reliance on higher-order centers for specialized goods and services
• Towns and small cities occupy the middle levels of the urban hierarchy, with larger populations, more diverse economic activities, and a greater range of goods and services compared to hamlets and villages (local schools, small businesses)

Higher-Order Centers

• Large cities and metropolitan areas are at the top of the urban hierarchy, characterized by large populations, complex economies, and a wide array of specialized goods and services
  • These high-order centers often have extensive spheres of influence, attracting people and businesses from surrounding regions (major universities, corporate headquarters)
• The rank-size rule, or Zipf's law, states that the population of a city is inversely proportional to its rank within the urban hierarchy of a region or country (New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago in the United States)

Relationships Between Cities

Flows and Interactions

• Cities within an urban system are interconnected through various flows, including people (commuters, migrants), goods (trade), services (healthcare, education), and information (knowledge exchange)
• Transportation networks, such as roads, railways, and airports, facilitate the movement of people and goods between cities, shaping the structure and functioning of urban systems (Interstate Highway System, high-speed rail networks)

Economic Relationships

• Complementarity refers to the economic interactions between cities with different specializations, leading to the exchange of goods and services based on their respective comparative advantages (Detroit for automotive industry, Silicon Valley for technology)
• Synergies can develop between cities in an urban system, where the combined effect of their interactions is greater than the sum of their individual contributions
  • For example, innovation corridors can emerge when cities with complementary strengths in research, technology, and entrepreneurship collaborate and share knowledge (Research Triangle in North Carolina)

Globalization's Impact on Urban Systems

Global Cities and Megacities

• Globalization has led to the emergence of global cities and megacities, which serve as key nodes in the global economy, concentrating command and control functions, financial services, and cultural industries (New York, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong)
• The rise of transnational corporations and the increasing importance of foreign direct investment have reshaped urban hierarchies, with cities competing to attract global capital and firms (Shanghai, Dubai)

Specialized Clusters and Mega-Regions

• Globalization has facilitated the development of specialized clusters and regional networks of cities, such as the Silicon Valley in the United States or the Pearl River Delta in China, which leverage their collective strengths to compete in the global economy
• The growing interconnectedness of cities across national borders has led to the formation of mega-regions, large-scale urban clusters that span multiple cities and even countries (Blue Banana in Europe, Yangtze River Delta in China)

Primate Cities and Regional Disparities

• Globalization has also contributed to the growth of primate cities in many developing countries, leading to increased urban primacy and regional disparities in economic development and living standards (Lagos in Nigeria, Bangkok in Thailand)
• Primate cities often concentrate a disproportionate share of a country's population, economic activity, and political power, leading to imbalanced regional development (Cairo in Egypt, Buenos Aires in Argentina)