Paper Name: Human Geography

Paper: GGY-HC-2016

Topic: Concentric Zone Theory by Burgess

Introduction
Each city is unique in respect of the detailed pattern of its internal land use, yet there is a
considerable degree of repetition in the broad geographical arrangement of various categories of
urban land use from one city to another. Even a casual inspection of cities reveals that different
areas of the city have been given for different land uses. But in most of the city, a generalized pattern
of land use can be observed which reflects the role of certain controlling factors like the land
values, accessibility, and the history of urban growth. On the basis of some generalized patterns of
urban land use, a number of theories have been propounded which attempt to generalize about the
arrangement of land use regions within a city. These theories are also known as ‘models of internal
structure’ of towns and also urban growth theories. In this regard important theories are as follows:

1. Concentric zone theory by Burgess

2. Sector theory by Hoyt

3. Multiple Nuclei theory by Harris and Ullman

4. Fused Growth theory by Garrison

5. Work Home Concept by Rame Gowda

Concentric Zone Theory by Burgess: -

The concentric zone scheme or model of urban land use was propounded by E.W. Burgess,
an American urban sociologist in the year 1925 on the basis of the study of American cities in
general and Chicago in particular. Burgess concept was first published as ‘The growth of the city:
an introduction to a research project’ – a chapter in the book “The city” written with R.E. Park in
1925. It is known as the concentric zone model or zonal theory of urban land use pattern. It is one
of the earliest theoretical models to explain urban social structures. It is also the earliestdescriptive
urban land use model which divided cities in a set of concentric circles expanding from the down
town to the suburbs. It is based on the concept that the development of a city takes place outwards
from its central area, to form a series of concentric zones. According to Burgess there are five
concentric zones showing different types of land uses. They are-

Zone I- Central Business District: – It is the most inner circle forming the core of the city. In
Chicago, it is known as ‘Loop’. Burgess model has also termed the zone as ‘Loop’. In New York,
it is known as Downtown. In this zone where most of the tertiary employment is located and also
transport infrastructure is converging making this zone most accessible. CBD is the focus of
commercial, social, and civic life. This zone is characterized by a large number of sky scrapper
buildings mostly engaged in commercial activities like retail trade, business, departmental stores,
hotels and restaurants, banks, offices, clubs, theatres, etc. In America, it occupies the least space
and most part is non-residential.

Zone II- Zone of Transition: – This zone encircles the core or the CBD of zone I. In this
transitional zone, older private houses are either in the process of being taken over for offices and
the light industry or in the process of subdivision to form smaller dwelling units. This is the area of
the city to which immigrants are attracted. This zone is always changing in character as business
and light manufacturing encroach into this zone of residential deterioration. It is inhabited by poor
people and labourers who work in business or light manufacturing. It has old structure houses,
availability of rooms on rent, low-income people, and narrow streets, it is characterized by “vice”
areas inhabited by unstable social groups rather than by settled families. In American, it contains
the poorest segment of the urban population notably first-generation immigrants.

Concentric Theory of the Urban Areas

TUrban
Zone III- Zone of Working Men’s Houses: - This is the third concentric circle inhabited by the
workers in industries who have escaped from the area of deterioration but who desire to live within
easy access to their work. This zone has the advantage of being located near the major zones of
employment. Some older residential buildings in the city are found in this zone, but socio-economic
groups are stable and largely consist of working-class families. In Chicago, this zone is dominated
by two-storey buildings in which house owners live in lower-storey while the upper-storey was
given to the tenant. The inhabitants of this zone work either in business activities of CBD or in
light manufacturing. Houses of medium-income group people are found in this zone.

Zone IV- Zone of Better Residences: - Encircling Zone III is the zone of better residences. It is a
“residential area” of high-class apartment buildings or exclusive “restricted” districts of single-
family dwellings. The people living here are engaged in a certain profession like bank, commercial
institution, manager, clerks, etc. The multi-room dwellings of this zone have vast open space in
front of their houses which is used for gardening.

Zone V- Commuter’s Zone: - According to Burgess, it is the outermost circle beyond the city
limits. It is known as commuter’s zone, suburban areas, or satellite cities. People inhabiting this
zone daily commute to the main city for work. It is characterized by high-class residences developed
along lines of rapid travel. The residences are widely spaced and there are open spaces between
two houses. Here expensive houses are located in a rural sub-urbanized setting. Here there still be
open country and former villages changing in character and functions to become dormitory
settlements for commuters who travel to work in the City. Commuting costs are the highest. Prior
to the mass diffusion of the automobile, most of these settlements were located next to rail stations.

The main points of Burgess model can be summed up as follows:–

1. City centre characterized by business activities and light manufacturing which is also zone
of employment.

2. Encircling city centres are the zones of different class residences.

3. Poor people prefer to live near their place of work where living conditions are poor.

4. As we move away from inner-city towards the periphery gradually better-class residential
dwellings are found.

Burgess work is based on the ‘bid rent curve’. This theory states that the concentric circles
are based on the amount that people will pay for any use of land. Since the city centre is
characterized by a converging transportation line it has the highest accessibility, therefore, land use
value is highest. Only commercial activities can pay high rent for the small size of the land on the
basis of profits that are obtainable from maintaining a business on that land. The centre of the town
has the highest number of customers so it is profitable for retail activities. Manufacturing will pay
slightly less for the land as they are interested in the accessibility of workers, transportation of raw
material, and finished products. Residential land use will take the surrounding land. Away from
the city centre the land value declines which gives rise to the zonation of different class of
residences from working men’s houses in the inner part to high-class residences in the commuter’s
zone.

Besides, there is a strong historical element in the Burgess scheme. According to Burgess
urban growth is a process of expansion and reconversion of land use with a tendency of each inner
zone to expand in the outer zone. In his model zone is expanding towards the working class zone
creating a transitional zone with reconversion of land use.

Criticism of Burgess Model: -

The concentric zone model of Burgess has been challenged by several contemporary urban
geographers e.g. M. Alihan, M.R. Davie, Walter Firey, and R.E. Dickinson. Some of the criticism
of Burgess model are as follows:

1. This model does not work well with cities outside United Stated, particularly with
those developed under different historical contexts.
2. Even in the United States due to advancements in transportation and information
technology and also due to the transformation of the global economy cities are no
longer organized with clear zones.
3. It explains peculiar American cities where the inner city is poor while the suburbs are
wealthy. In some countries, just reverse situation is observed.
4. Burgess model assumes an isotropic plain- an even, unchanging landscape while
physical features may restrict the growth of a town in certain direction or make some
locations e.g. location along river front or sea front desirable for residential purposes.
5. In many cities decentralization of shops, manufacturing industry, and places of
entertainment are observed in different parts of the city.

6. Due to urban regeneration and gentrifications- sometimes more expensive property

can be found in formerly low-class housing areas.
 7. It does not take into account local urban politics and forces of globalization.
8. This model does not fit well in polycentric cities for example most of the cities of
India.

Burgess also accepted that his concentric zone model can be modified by some physical
and cultural factors e.g. nature of the surface, transportation routes, etc. The expansion of the city
may take place along transportation routes to exhibit radical form of cities. In this way, concentric
zone model can be distorted or modified.

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Source: Dr. Abhay Krishna Singh