190 likes | 233 Views
Rank-Size Rule. Definition:. Relatively developed societies produce a pattern in the size of their cities according to a mathematical formula. “Ideal” line. New York City, NY 8.4 m Los Angeles, CA 3.8 m Chicago, IL 2.7 m Houston, TX 2.1 m Philadelphia, PA 1.5 m
E N D
Definition: • Relatively developed societies produce a pattern in the size of their cities according to a mathematical formula.
New York City, NY 8.4 m Los Angeles, CA 3.8 m Chicago, IL 2.7 m Houston, TX 2.1 m Philadelphia, PA 1.5 m Phoenix , AZ 1.4 m San Antonio, TX 1.2 m San Diego, CA 1.3 m Dallas, TX 1.1 m San Jose, CA 945,000 How Well does the USA fit?
PRIMATE CITIES • In less developed countries/regions the largest city is overly large. The pattern of settlements is such that the largest settlement has more than twice as many people as the second largest settlement.
Why do we care? • Interesting math! • Countries that have good rank-size distribution improve the quality of life of their citizens. A regular hierarchy (USA) indicates that a society is wealthy enough to provide services for its people. • Absence of rank-size means people may struggle to access large urban settlements, thus high level services like hospitals.