Which of the following best explains the role of a city under central place theory?

Question

A city serves a function beyond its immediate area by performing services integral to the world economy.
A city provides for a specific ranking of different central places depending on their size.
A city exists above a threshold and under a range of economic production as it provides for its surrounding market area.
A city marks the minimum provision for a central place to be economically reasonable in a given area.

Answer 1

The option that best explains the role of a city under central place theory is:

A city exists above a threshold and under a range of economic production as it provides for its surrounding market area.

Central place theory, developed by Walter Christaller, posits that cities (central places) serve as service and goods providers to their surrounding areas (market areas) and exist in a hierarchical structure based on population and economic function. The idea involves thresholds (minimum market size necessary for a certain service to be viable) and ranges (maximum distance consumers are willing to travel for a good or service). This option captures the essence of how cities function within the framework of central place theory.