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• Revision:Central Place Theory

TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Geography > Central Place Theory

• A Central Place is a settlement which provides one or more services for the population living around it.
• Simple basic services (e.g. grocery stores) are said to be of low order while specialized services (e.g. universities) are said to be of high order.
• Having a high order service implies there are low order services around it, but not vice versa.
• Settlements which provide low order services are said to be low order settlements.
• Settlements that provide high order services are said to be high order settlements.
• The sphere of influence is the area of under influence of the Central Place.
• The minimum population size required to profitably maintain a service is the threshold population.
• Factors affecting a fall in the threshold population are
  1. A decrease in population
  2. Change in tastes
  3. Introduction of substitutes

The theory was created by the German geographer Walter Christaller, who asserted that settlements simply functioned as 'central places' providing services to surrounding areas.

Conclusions That Can be Made About Central Places

• The larger the settlements, the fewer their number
• The larger a settlement, the farther away a similar size settlement is
• The Range increases as the population increases
• The larger the settlement, the higher the order of its services. Deviations to this rule are:
• Tourist resorts that have a small population but large number of functions.
• Dormitory towns that have a large population but a small number of functions

Comments

Walter Christaller (April 21st 1893 – March 9th 1969) was a German geographer whose main contribution to Geography is 'Central Place Theory' first published in 1933.