The variety of urban environments

The **Central Business District** — a city's commercial core (shops, offices, banks) and most accessible point.

The **price or rent** of a piece of land. Highest at the CBD, falling towards the edge.

The single **most expensive site** in a city, usually a main CBD junction.

The idea that each land use will only **pay so much** for a site; the **highest bidder** wins the most accessible land.

Accessibility drops with distance, so demand falls — and lower demand means **lower land value**.

Land use in **rings** around the CBD: CBD, inner city, then successively newer housing outwards.

Land use in **wedges (sectors)** growing out from the CBD along **transport routes**.

It needs **cheap, spacious, accessible** land and cannot out-bid retail/offices for the costly CBD.

**Physical** (relief, coast), **economic** (land value, accessibility) and **political** (planning, zoning).

Rapid growth and migration leave **too few formal jobs**, so people rely on small-scale informal work to survive.

**Planning/zoning** — councils fix where activities can locate (e.g. Singapore zones industry onto reclaimed coast).

Two+ developed factors, a named city, a weighing of their relative importance, and a clear judgement.