Urban Ecology

4 Pages 942 Words

There are many different theories regarding the study of urban ecology and the development, in particular of American cities. Throughout the years different theories have evolved. The concentric zone theory came first, followed by the sector theory, multiple nuclei theory, and others. When we more recently examined these older theories and applied them to modern cities different ways of studying the ecologies arose. Social area analysis, factorial ecology, and the Synthesis Theory were some of the theories that arose out of this modern thinking. Our hometown of Cleveland falls under many of these theories and modern ideas throughout its urban development.
The Concentric Zone Theory was the basis of most of the theories present. The basics of it are present throughout almost all cities of the American landscape. The basic theory is that cities grow like a tree with rings spreading outward. A central business district lies in the middle. The next outlying ring would be ghetto and poor areas. Surrounding this would be transitional housing between poor and middle class. Next would be middle class housing. Surrounding that is more upper class homes, and commuters. This basic analysis is evident throughout but it doesn’t take many things into account. Social structures were not discussed. Competition varies in city to city depending on type of industries, etc. Also all cities are not based on the same form of transportation such as New York or Washington D.C. with their subways vs. Detroit or Columbus which have none.
The next two theories evolved out of the flaws of the Concentric Theory. The Sector Theory looked closer at areas, block by block. Pie shaped or wedge shaped areas arose. Many ethnic groups were in districts together. New York’s Chinatown and New Orleans French Quarter are examples. It noticed how these districts of rich and poor would sometimes be within a block of each other. Also these districts ...