Lecture4 Von Thunens Regional Land Use Model Department

Lecture-4 Von Thunen's Regional Land Use Model Department of City & Regional Planning Lahore College for Women University, Lahore. Saba Islam

Von Thunen's Regional Land Use Model Regional Planning Location economics Economic geography Spatial economics Regional economics Agglomeration economics

Von Thunen's Regional Land Use Model If modern economics began with Adam Smith (1723 -1790), modern location economics began with Von Thunen (1826). He was the first to develop a basic analytical model of the relationships between markets, production, and distance (Transportation Costs). Production Johann Heinrich von Thünen (1783 -1850) Transport cost Markets

Modern Urban Planning: Historical antecedents The roots of the UK town and country planning system—emerged in the immediate post-war years—evolved over the previous half century in response to industrialization and urbanization issues such as: ● Pollution ● Urban sprawl, and ● Ribbon development 1 Regional Planning These concerns were expressed through the work of thinkers such as Ebenezer Howard and the philanthropic industrialists such as the Lever Brothers and the Cadbury family, and architects such as Raymond Unwin and Patrick Abercrombie. Some of the initial planning legislation included: ● The Housing and Town Planning Act 1909 ● Housing and Town Planning Act 1919 ● Town Planning Act 1925 and ● Town and Country Planning Act 1932 2 Urban Planning

Chronological order of Regional Theories Location Theories Regional Growth Theories Local Development Theories Local Growth Theories Roberta Capello (2011)

Chronological order of Regional Theories Location Theories Regional Growth Theories Local Development Theories Local Growth Theories Roberta Capello (2011)

Von Thunen's Regional Land Use Model For this purpose he looked upon the agricultural landscape. He explored that the relative costs of transporting different agricultural commodities to the central market determined the agricultural land use around a city. The most productive activities will thus compete for the closest land to the market and activities not productive enough will locate further away. Economic Darwinism Survival of the fittest rule— Von Thunen Social Darwinism Survival of the fittest rule—Herbert Spencer

Idealistic Visualization Realistic Visualization

The model had a corresponding to conditions: set of assumptions early 19 th century 1. Isolation; There is one isolated market in an isolated state having no interactions (trade) with the outside. 2. Ubiquitous land characteristics; The land surrounding the market is entirely flat and its fertility uniform. 3. Transportation; It is assumed there are no transport infrastructures such as roads or rivers and that farmers are transporting their production to the market using horses and carts. Centrality Assumptions Isolated State Flat Land Same Transport Means Soil Quality No Rivers mountains Climate Constant Farmers behave rationally… Transportation costs are dependent on commodity type being transported as well as distance to the market involved.

The model compares the relationships between production cost, the market price and the transport cost of an agricultural commodity and is expressed as follows: R = Y(p-c) - Yfm R = Rent per unit of land Y = Yield per unit of land p = Market price per unit of yield c = Average production costs per unit of yield m = Distance from market (in kilometers or miles) f = Freight rate per unit of yield and unit of distance

All agricultural land uses are maximizing their productivity (Rent)—dependent upon their location from the market (Central City). The role of farmer is to maximize their profit—the market price minus the transport and production costs. Therefore, the following uses/activities tend to locate near the market: 1. the most productive activities (gardening or milk production) or 2. activities with high transport costs (firewood, vegetables)

Idealistic Visualization Realistic Visualization

The aforementioned figures provides an overview of Von Thunen’s agricultural land use model with the basic assumptions being applied (isolation, ubiquity, transportation). It can be divided in two parts: 1. The pure isolated state over an isotropic plain (left). In this case, the model takes a shape of perfect concentric circles. 2. The potential impacts of modified transport costs (a navigable river) and the presence of a competing center (right). The relationships between agricultural land use and market distance are very difficult to establish in the contemporary context. However, a strong relationship between the transport system and regional agricultural land use patterns do exists.

Rural Land Rent Gradients and Land Use Zones

Application of Von Thunens Model to Continental USA

Assignment: Search for Urban Land Rent Model Please, Submit it in the form of an assignment by next week

William Alonso 1933 -99 …Urban land Rent Gradient