Figure 1

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Chapter 9 Take Me Out to the Ball Game Market
Areas and the Urban Hierarchy
Activity 1 Threshold of a Function
Activity 2 Market Area Geography
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Learning OutcomesAfter completing the chapter,
you will be able to

• Differentiate between low- and high-order goods
  and services.
• Construct and interpret a scatter diagram using a
  logarithmic scale.
• Estimate the minimum market size necessary to
  support a central place function.
• Relate high- and low-order goods and services to
  a citys position in the urban hierarchy.
• Use a geographic information system (GIS) to
  modify market areas.

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Figure 9.1
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Figure 9.2
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Figure 9.3
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Figure 9.4
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Figure 9.5
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Figure 9.6
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Figure 9.7
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Figure 9.8
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Figure 9.9
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Figure 9.10
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Figure 9.11
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Figure 9.12
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Figure 9.13
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Figure 9.14
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Definitions of Key Terms

• Central Place A city or town that provides goods
  and services to the surrounding population.
• Central Place Function A good or service that a
  central place provides.
• Central Place Theory A geographic model of the
  sizes and location patterns of settlements that
  serve as central locations for selling goods and
  services to hexagonal-shaped market areas.
• Market Area The area in which residents favor a
  given central place over its competitors when
  shopping for a good or service.

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• Order The relative ranking of a central place
  function based on how specialized it is.
• Range The maximum distance people are willing to
  travel to obtain a central place function.
• Threshold The minimum market size needed to
  support a central place function.
• Urban Hierarchy A system of cities consisting of
  various levels, with few cities at the top level
  and increasingly more settlements on each lower
  level. The position of a city within the
  hierarchy is determined by the types of central
  place functions it provides.