What is concentric zone model ap human geography?

The concentric zone model, also known as the Burgess model, was developed by urban sociologist Ernest Burgess in the 1920s. This model describes how cities grow and expand outward in a series of concentric rings or zones.

The model is based on the idea that cities develop in a series of rings, with the central business district (CBD) at the center and residential areas expanding outward in a series of concentric circles. Each zone in the model has a specific land use and function, with the CBD at the core surrounded by zones of increasingly lower land value and socioeconomic status.

According to the concentric zone model, cities grow and develop in a predictable pattern, with the CBD remaining the most important and valuable area of the city. As the city expands outward, residential areas become less dense, land values decrease, and the quality of housing diminishes.

While the concentric zone model provides a useful framework for understanding urban growth and development, it has been criticized for oversimplifying the complexity of urban environments and failing to account for variations in different cities and regions. Despite these criticisms, the model continues to be used as a basic framework for understanding urban land use patterns in many urban geography and urban planning courses.