Concentric zone theory

Theories of City Structure-Concentric Zone Theory

Introduction:

The Concentric or Zonal Theory of urban landuse was first proposed in 1923 by E.W. Burgess. He was a sociologist. The idea behind the concentric model is that the development of a city takes place outwards from its central area in a series of concentric circles to form zones. 

Assumption:

      i.         Cultural & social heterogeneity of the population.

     ii.         Commercial-industrial base to the economy of the city.

   iii.         Private ownership of property & economic competition for space.

   iv.         Expanding area & population of the city.

     v.         Transport is equally easy, rapid & cheap in energy direction within the city.

   vi.         No. concentrations of heavy industry.                

  vii.         No. district survival of an easier landuse, pattern in any district.

Purposes:

The main objectives of this theory was- 

      i.         How effective are the concepts of ecology in the settlement of a city at a particular time.

     ii.         To observed how the urbanization develops & moves forwards.

Basic Theme of this Theory:

He recognized five concentric zones expending outward from the city core these are:

 Zone-1: Central Business District:

      i.         The Central Business District (CBD) is the central area of the city centre which is described as the commercial core.

     ii.         This zone is the focus of the city’s social, commercial & civic life.

   iii.         CBD is the area where land values are highest.

   iv.         It has the downtown retail districts, stores, shop, office building, banks, clubs, hotels, theatres, museums & organizational headquarters.

     v.         It is the most accessible area in the city.

   vi.         It has the greatest number of people moving into & out of it each day, & the main transport terminal.

Zone-2: Transition Zone:

      i.         Transition surrounding the CBD.

     ii.         It is a zone of residential deterioration of older private houses consisting of largly subdivided dwelling units.

   iii.         The transition area is occupied by immigrants & infested by ‘vices’.

   iv.         Some of the parts of this zone are likely to be found in the city’s slums or areas of poverty & crime.

Zone-3: Zone of Working Men’s Homes:

      i.         This is the zone occupied mainly by industrial workers who have migrated out from the zone in transition.

     ii.         This zone is the third ring made up of the houses of ‘working-men’s homes’.

   iii.         This is the zone of old residential buildings occupied by stable social groups of working class families.

   iv.         It is inhabited by blue color workers.

Zone-4: Residential Zone or Single Family Dwelling:

      i.         This zone of private housing & good apartment blocks.

     ii.         It is the home of the middle class.

   iii.         People of this zone are likely to be proprietors of small businesses, professional people, clerks, & salesmen.

Zone-5: Commuter’s Zone:

      i.         This zone lies in the areas of rural-urban frings.

     ii.         This zone may still be an open country.

   iii.         It is an incompletely build up area of small satellite town.

   iv.         It has scattered high class residences & is separated from the city by a green belt.

                        In these inner-functional structure of the urban landuse it has been noted that each inner zone has a tendency to extend its area by the invasion of the next outer-zone with the process of second zone of transition. According to Burgess, this dynamic process of city structure, shift sorts & relocated individuals & groups by residences & occupation creates cultural & economic differentiation among various groups of people & functional landuse of the urban centre.   

Criticism:

      i.         In this model ownership of private property get a great importance than the public policy. & Property owners are free to take the decision beyond the public policy.

     ii.         Burgess did not give the priority or importance in transport system & land rent. But these two factors play an important role in the urban structured system.

   iii.         The value of concentric-zone model is therefore limited historically & culturally at a particular time & particular country.

   iv.         The theory of Burgess was not appropriate in case of treatment of wholesaling. Besides the edge of CBD, the wholesaling may be often found adjacent to the side with maximum railroad availability.

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