AP Human Geography – Urban Models (Burgess Concentric Zone, Hoyt Sector, Harris-Ullman Multiple-Nuclei)

AP Human Geography – Urban Models (Burgess Concentric Zone, Hoyt Sector, Harris?Ullman Multiple?Nuclei)

AP Human Geography Study Guide: Urban Models (Burgess, Hoyt, Harris-Ullman)

What This Is

Urban models explain how cities grow and organize themselves spatially. On the AP exam, you’ll need to identify, compare, and apply these models to real-world cities, analyze their strengths/weaknesses, and explain why certain land uses develop where they do. For example, Chicago in the 1920s was the real-world case study for the Burgess Concentric Zone Model, where wealthier residents moved outward in rings from the central business district (CBD) as the city expanded.

Key Terms & Concepts

• Urban Model: A simplified representation of how cities are structured, showing patterns of land use, population density, and economic activity.
• Burgess Concentric Zone Model (1925): Cities grow outward in concentric rings from the CBD. Key zones:
• CBD (Central Business District): Core of commerce, government, and culture.
• Zone of Transition: Mixed residential/commercial, often low-income housing (e.g., factories, tenements).
• Working-Class Zone: Modest older homes, stable but not wealthy.
• Middle-Class Residential Zone: Single-family homes, better amenities.
• Commuter Zone: Suburbs, wealthier residents who commute to the CBD.
• Hoyt Sector Model (1939): Cities grow in wedges (sectors) along transportation corridors (e.g., railroads, highways). Wealthy sectors expand outward from the CBD, while low-income sectors cluster near industrial zones.
• Harris-Ullman Multiple-Nuclei Model (1945): Cities have multiple centers (nodes) of activity (e.g., airports, universities, shopping malls) rather than a single CBD. Different land uses develop around these nodes.
• Bid-Rent Theory: Land value decreases as distance from the CBD increases. Businesses pay more for central locations; residents trade off space for commute time.
• Edge City: A suburban node of economic activity (e.g., Tysons Corner, VA) with offices, retail, and entertainment—often near highways.
• Gentrification: Wealthier residents move into low-income urban areas, renovating housing and displacing original residents (e.g., Brooklyn, NY).
• Zoning Laws: Government regulations controlling land use (e.g., residential vs. commercial). Can reinforce or disrupt urban models.
• Invasion and Succession: One social/ethnic group gradually replaces another in a neighborhood (e.g., early 20th-century Chicago, where immigrants replaced native-born residents in inner zones).
• Filtering: Housing passes from higher- to lower-income residents as it ages (e.g., wealthy families move to suburbs, leaving older homes for renters).

Step-by-Step: How to Analyze Urban Models on the Exam

1. Identify the Model

2. Look for key features in a city map or description:

   • Concentric rings?-Burgess.
   • Wedges along transportation lines?-Hoyt.
   • Multiple centers?-Harris-Ullman.

3. Match the Model to a Real City

4. Burgess: Chicago (1920s), early industrial cities.
5. Hoyt: London (wealthy sectors along railroads), many European cities.

6. Multiple-Nuclei: Los Angeles (no single CBD; nodes like Hollywood, Santa Monica).

7. Explain Why the Model Applies (or Doesn’t)

8. Transportation: Hoyt’s sectors follow railroads/highways.
9. Economic Activity: Harris-Ullman’s nodes reflect specialized centers (e.g., tech hubs near universities).

10. Historical Context: Burgess fits early 20th-century cities; Multiple-Nuclei fits post-WWII suburbanization.

11. Compare Models

12. Burgess vs. Hoyt: Burgess assumes uniform land use; Hoyt accounts for transportation corridors.

13. Hoyt vs. Multiple-Nuclei: Hoyt has one CBD; Multiple-Nuclei has many centers.

14. Apply to FRQs

15. If asked to explain urban sprawl, discuss how Multiple-Nuclei models reflect decentralization.
16. If asked to compare two cities, use models to highlight differences (e.g., "City A follows Hoyt’s sectors due to its railroad history").

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Assuming all cities follow the Burgess model.

• Correction: Burgess fits early industrial cities (e.g., Chicago 1920s), but modern cities often follow Multiple-Nuclei due to cars and suburbs.

• Mistake: Confusing "sector" (Hoyt) with "ring" (Burgess).

• Correction: Sectors are wedges (e.g., wealthy neighborhoods along a highway); rings are concentric circles (e.g., CBD-suburbs).

• Mistake: Ignoring transportation’s role in Hoyt’s model.

• Correction: Hoyt’s sectors develop along railroads or highways (e.g., wealthy areas follow commuter lines).

• Mistake: Forgetting that Multiple-Nuclei models have no single CBD.

• Correction: Cities like LA have multiple centers (e.g., downtown, airport, university).

• Mistake: Overlooking gentrification’s impact on models.

• Correction: Gentrification can disrupt Burgess’s rings by bringing wealth back to inner zones.

AP Exam Insights

• Frequently Tested:
• Model identification (e.g., "Which model best explains the layout of Houston?").
• Strengths/weaknesses (e.g., "Why does the Multiple-Nuclei model better fit modern cities than Burgess?").

• Real-world applications (e.g., "How does zoning reinforce Hoyt’s sectors?").

• Tricky Distinctions:

• Burgess vs. Hoyt: Burgess = rings; Hoyt = wedges.
• CBD vs. Edge City: CBD = traditional downtown; edge city = suburban business hub.

• Gentrification vs. Filtering: Gentrification = wealth moving in; filtering = housing passing to lower-income residents.

• FRQ Tips:

• If asked to draw a model, label zones/sectors clearly.
• If asked to compare models, discuss transportation, economic activity, and historical context.

• Example FRQ: "Explain how the Multiple-Nuclei model reflects the decentralization of U.S. cities since 1950."

• Multiple-Choice Traps:

• Distractors might mix up model names (e.g., "Concentric Zone" vs. "Sector").
• Outdated models (e.g., Burgess for modern cities) are often wrong answers.

Quick Check Questions

1. Which urban model best explains a city where wealthy neighborhoods develop along a major highway extending from the CBD?
2. (A) Burgess Concentric Zone
3. (B) Hoyt Sector
4. (C) Harris-Ullman Multiple-Nuclei
5. (D) Von Thünen’s Agricultural Model

6. Answer: (B) Hoyt Sector. The model emphasizes wedges of development along transportation corridors.

7. Short FRQ: "Explain one way the Multiple-Nuclei model reflects changes in urban structure since the mid-20th century."

8. Sample Answer: The Multiple-Nuclei model shows decentralization, where cities develop multiple centers (e.g., shopping malls, airports) due to car-dependent suburbs and edge cities, unlike older models with a single CBD.

9. Which of the following is a key difference between the Burgess and Hoyt models?

10. (A) Burgess assumes a single CBD; Hoyt assumes multiple nodes.
11. (B) Burgess uses rings; Hoyt uses wedges along transportation lines.
12. (C) Burgess fits modern cities; Hoyt fits pre-industrial cities.
13. (D) Burgess ignores economic activity; Hoyt focuses on agriculture.
14. Answer: (B) Burgess uses rings; Hoyt uses wedges. Hoyt accounts for transportation corridors, while Burgess assumes uniform outward growth.

Last-Minute Cram Sheet

1. Burgess Concentric Zone: Rings from CBD-suburbs (Chicago 1920s).
2. Hoyt Sector: Wedges along transportation (wealthy sectors follow railroads).
3. Harris-Ullman Multiple-Nuclei: Multiple centers (LA, edge cities).
4. Bid-Rent Theory: Land value-as distance from CBD ?.
5. Edge City: Suburban business hub (e.g., Tysons Corner).
6. Gentrification: Wealthy move in, displace low-income residents (Brooklyn).
7. Filtering: Housing passes from high- to low-income residents.
8. Burgess-modern cities (too simplistic; Multiple-Nuclei fits better).
9. Hoyt’s sectors follow transportation (railroads, highways).
10. Multiple-Nuclei has no single CBD (nodes like airports, universities).