WALTER CHRISTALLER

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WALTER CHRISTALLERS

• HEXAGON CENTRAL PLACE THEORY
• 06 2

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• (1893 1969), was a German geographer whose
  principal contribution to the discipline is
  Central Place Theory 1, first published in
  1933. This groundbreaking theory was the
  foundation of the study of cities as systems of
  cities, rather than simple hierarchies or single
  entities.
• Life
• Before 1914, Christaller began studies in
  philosophy and political economics and
  subsequently served in the army later, during
  the twenties, he pursued a variety of
  occupations. In 1929 he resumed graduate studies
  that led to his famous dissertation on Central
  Place Theory in 1933.
• At the end of the 1930s he held a short-lived
  academic appointment, but then joined the Nazi
  Party in 1940. He moved into government service,
  in Himmler's SS-Planning and Soil Office, during
  the Second World War. Christallers task was to
  draw up plans for reconfiguring the economic
  geography of Germany's eastern conquests
  ("General plan of the East") primarily
  Czechoslovakia and Poland, and if successful,
  Russia itself. Christaller was given special
  charge of planning occupied Poland, and he did so
  using his central place theory as an explicit
  guide. 2
• After the War he joined the Communist Party and
  became politically active. In addition, he
  devoted himself to the geography of tourism. From
  1950 forward, his Central Place Theory was used
  to restructure municipal relationships and
  boundaries in the Federal Republic of Germany and
  the system is still in place today.

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HEXAGON CP THEORY
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K-4 Transport Principle
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ASSUMPTIONS

• UNBOUNDED LIMITLESS FLAT SURFACE
• EVENLY DISTRIBUTED POPULATION
• EVENLY DISTRIBUTED RESOURCES
• CONSUMERS HAVE SIMARILAR PURCHASING POWER
  DEMAND FOR GOODS SERVICES

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ASSUMPTIONS

• NO COMPANY IS ABLE TO EARN EXCESS PROFIT.
• TRADE AREAS OF CENTRAL PLACES MUST ALL BE OF
  EQUAL SIZE.
• THERE IS ONLY ONE TYPE OF TRANSPORT
• THE LONGER THE DISTANCE TRAVELED, THE HIGHER THE
  TRANSPORT COST.

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Threshold range

• Threshold is the minimum market (population or
  income) needed to purchase goods and services.
• Range in the maximum distance consumers are
  prepared to travel to acquire goods.

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• The result of consumer preferences is a system of
  centers of various sizes will emerge.
• Each center supplies particular goods forming
  levels of hierarchy.
• Generalizations can be made regarding SPACE,
  SIZE, and FUNCTION of settlements.

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• There are many small villages, but few large
  cities.
• Villages are usually found close together, while
  cities are space much further apart

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As a settlement increases in size . .

• the range and number of its functions will
  increase
• the number of high-order services will also
  increase a greater degree of specialization
  occurs.
• The higher the order of goods and services the
  longer the distance people are willing to travel
  to acquire them.

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EXAMPLES OF LOW ORDER GOODS

• Newspaper stalls
• groceries
• Bakeries
• Post offices
• Drug stores
• Fast food
• motels

• Supported by smaller threshold populations

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EXAMPLES OF HIGH ORDER GOODS

• Jewellery
• Large shopping malls
• Huebner Oaks movie theater
• Professional sports
• Symphony
• Museums
• 5 Star restaurants hotels

• Supported by larger threshold population

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FACTORS SHAPING A MARKET AREA

• LAND USE industrial areas proved little in the
  way of a consuming population
• ACCESSIBILITY can limit the extent of centers
  market area
• COMPETITION limits the extent of market areas
  in all directions
• TECHNOLOGY automobiles allows overlapping of
  market areas

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CRITICISM

• It is static and does not incorporate the
  temporal aspect in the development of central
  places.
• Does not help explain the development of
  industrial or postindustrial areas due to their
  diversified nature of various services or their
  varied distribution of natural resources.