Misplaced Pages

The multiple nuclei model is an economical model created by Chauncy Harris and Edward Ullman in the 1945 article "The Nature of Cities".

The Model

The model describes the layout of a city, based on Chicago. It says that even though a city may have begun with a central business district, or CBD, other smaller CBDs develop on the outskirts of the city near the more valuable housing areas to allow shorter commutes from the outskirts of the city. This creates nodes or nuclei in other parts of the city besides the CBD thus the name multiple nuclei model. Their aim was to produce a more realistic, if more complicated, model. Their main goals in this were to:

1. Move away from the concentric zone model
2. Better reflect the complex nature of urban areas, especially those of larger size

The model assumes that:

1. Land is not flat in all areas
2. There is even Distribution of Resources
3. There is even Distribution of people in Residential areas
4. There is even Transportation Costs

Reasons for the model

Harris and Ullman argued that cities do not grow around a single nucleus, but rather several separate nuclei. Each nucleus acts like a growth point.

The theory was formed based on the idea that people have greater movement due to increased car ownership. This increase of movement allows for the specialization of regional centers (e.g. heavy industry, business parks, retail areas). The model is suitable for large, expanding cities. The number of nuclei around which the city expands depends upon situational as well as historical factors. Multiple nuclei develop because:

1. Certain industrial activities require transportation facilities e.g. ports, railway stations, etc. to lower transportation costs.
2. Various combinations of activities tend to be kept apart e.g. residential areas and airports, factories and parks, etc.
3. Other activities are found together for their mutual advantage e.g. universities, bookstores and coffee shops, etc.
4. Some facilities need to be set in specific areas in a city - for example, the CBD requires convenient traffic systems, and many factories need an abundant source of resources.

Effects of multiple nuclei on Industry

As the multiple nuclei develop, transportation hubs such as airports are constructed which allow industries to be established with reduced transportation costs. These transportation hubs have negative externality such as noise pollution and lower land values, making land around the hub cheaper. Hotels are also constructed near airports because people who travel tend to want to stay near the source of travel. Housing develops in wedges and gets more expensive the farther it is from the CBD.

See also

• Sector model
• Urban structure
• Concentric zone model

References

1. Harris, Chauncy D.; Ullman, Edward L. (1945-01-01). "The Nature of Cities". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 242: 7–17. doi:10.1177/000271624524200103. JSTOR 1026055. S2CID 145689475.
2. ^ Swanson, Kelly. Kaplan AP Human Geography. 2009. 2009. 360-364.

v t e Cities
Urban geography	Urban area City centre Downtown Suburb Exurb Core city Twin cities Satellite city Edge city Commuter town City proper limits Conurbation Metropolitan area Metropolis Megacity Megalopolis Cities with the most skyscrapers Urbanization Suburbanization Shrinking cities Ghost town Abandoned village Lost city Tent city Closed city College town
Urban government	City status Municipality direct-controlled Independent city City-state Autonomous city Capital city
Urban economics	World's cities by GDP Global city Central business district Most expensive cities Cheapest cities Most livable cities Urban decay Ghetto Modern ruins No-go area Shanty town Skid row Slum Squatting Urban renewal Municipal bond Habitat III Peri-urban agriculture
Urban planning	History of urban planning Theories of urban planning Technical aspects of urban planning Urban planners Public open space Green space Urban wild Zoning Mixed-use development Urban design Grid plan Concentric zone model Sector model Multiple nuclei model Linear settlement Land use Smart city Bicycle-friendly Cyclability Cycling infrastructure Pedestrian zone Walkability
Urban population	World's largest cities throughout history Most densely populated cities Most populous national capitals Most populous satellite cities
Urbanism	New Urbanism Urban warfare Urban studies Urban morphology Urban culture Urban sociology Anti-urbanism Urban exploration Urban homesteading Unitary urbanism
Environment	Climate change Eco-cities Ecological engineering Green infrastructure Green urbanism Million Tree Initiative Sustainable city Sustainable Development Goal 11 Sustainable urbanism Urban ecology Urban forest inequity Urban forest Urban forestry Urban heat island Urban park Urban prairie Urban reforestation Zero-carbon city
Cities portal

• Urban planning
• City layout models