Urban Land Uses

Urban areas are not random developments. If you walk through a town or city you will often find distinct zones of land-use. The Burgess and the Hoyt models are used to show land-use patterns. Each area (or zone) of a city has a distinct function, e.g. housing. Reasons for the location of the different functions include:-

• Land Values (only those that can afford the rents/rates will locate in central areas where land values are high.

•  Accessibility - how easy it is to get to a place may determine what land-use locates there.

• Space - some land-uses need a lot of space for expansion, parking etc..

Each land-use zone has a distinct character.  A summary of the different zones is shown opposite.

To find out more about each zone, click on the zones shown on the model opposite!