Maarg Manthan · Topic 10.16

Classification of Cities: Hierarchical and Morphological

Geography › Urbanization, Settlements and Migration · Topic 10.16

Cities are classified in two main ways. The hierarchical classification ranks them by size and importance in a system: Christaller's central place theory (1933) shows a hierarchy of hamlets, villages, towns and cities; Zipf's rank-size rule (1949) relates city size to rank; Jefferson's primate city (1939) is one far larger than any other; the Census of India has six size classes; and GaWC ranks global cities. The morphological classification groups cities by their shape and layout, such as compact, linear, radial, star and polynuclear cities.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Urbanization, Settlements and Migration

At a Glance

Central place theory Walter Christaller, 1933
Rank-size rule George Zipf, 1949
Primate city Mark Jefferson, 1939
Census classes Class I to VI
Morphology Compact, linear, radial, polynuclear
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Urbanization, Settlements and Migration

Where Does It Fit?

This is the last topic of the macro on urbanisation. It joins the earlier topics on size, function and form by showing how cities are ranked in a system, and it is a base for the following macro on agriculture and the countryside. Previous topic: Changes in Land Use and Land Cover. Next topic: Land Use and Land Capability Classification.

What Is the Hierarchical Classification of Cities?

Concept	Idea
Central place theory (Walter Christaller, 1933)	Towns exist to supply goods and services to the surrounding area. Higher-order places (cities) offer more specialised goods, have a larger market area and are fewer and farther apart, while lower-order places (villages) offer daily goods. The result is a hierarchy of hexagonal market areas
Rank-size rule (George Zipf, 1949)	In a balanced urban system, the population of a city is the population of the largest city divided by its rank: the second city has half and the third one-third the size of the first
Primate city (Mark Jefferson, 1939)	A city that is much larger than the next city in the country and dominates its economy and culture, such as Bangkok, Paris, London or Buenos Aires. India has no primate city, as Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are of comparable size
Census size classes	Class I (100,000 and above), II (50,000 to 99,999), III (20,000 to 49,999), IV (10,000 to 19,999), V (5,000 to 9,999), VI (below 5,000)
Million cities and megacities	One million and over, and ten million and over, as in Types of Urban Settlements and the Urban Growth Process
World city ranking (GaWC)	The Globalization and World Cities network ranks cities by their links in finance, law and business services, from Alpha++ (London, New York) to lower grades; Mumbai and Delhi are among the Alpha-level cities

What Is the Morphological Classification?

Morphological classification groups cities by the shape of their built-up area and growth pattern.

Compact (concentrated) cities: built-up area around a single core, with high density and mixed use, such as old European towns and the core of Indian cities.
Linear cities: stretched along a river, coast, railway or highway, such as many coastal cities of Keralam (Kerala).
Radial or star-shaped cities: growth along radial roads from a centre, with green wedges between them, as in Delhi and Copenhagen.
Concentric or ring cities: expand in rings around the core, shown in Burgess’s model in Morphology of Urban Settlements and Town Planning.
Polynuclear cities: several cores, often as a result of merging of towns, such as Kolkata with Howrah, Mumbai with Navi Mumbai and Thane, and Hyderabad with Secunderabad.
Dispersed or sprawling cities: low-density growth over a wide area, as around many Indian metros.
Planned cities: grid and sector forms like Chandigarh and Gandhinagar.

How Do the Classifications Help and How Do Indian Cities Fit?

Policy: Census size classes decide the funds and rules that apply: for example, cities with a population above a million get metro rail, and small towns get lower-tier schemes. The Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT use population cut-offs.
Urban system: India has a balanced hierarchy, with a long tail of small towns but also a few very large cities; the largest few cities account for a significant share of the urban population but not an overwhelming one.
Central places: market towns and district headquarters supply services to villages, so planners support their growth to spread development, as in the idea of counter-magnet cities.
Global role: Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad compete as business and technology cities, while Gujarat’s GIFT City is built to be an international financial centre.

As an analytical point, size, function and form describe different aspects of one city. A city can be Class I by size, industrial by function, and linear or polynuclear by form. The functional classification is in Categorization of Cities Based on Functions. The Census definition of towns is in Census Terminology, and urban policy in National Urbanisation Policy and Government Urban Development Policy.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Theories Christaller, Zipf, Jefferson
Classes Census size classes
Forms Morphological types

What Came Next?

The next macro covers agriculture and crop geography, beginning with land use and land capability classification. Next topic: Land Use and Land Capability Classification.

Key People and Terms

Central place Settlement that serves its hinterland
Threshold Minimum market for a service
Range of a good Distance people will travel for it
Rank-size rule Size is inversely proportional to rank
Primate city City far larger than the rest
GaWC Global city ranking network

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Christaller: 1933; Zipf: 1949; Jefferson: 1939.
India has no primate city.
Census Class I: 100,000 and above.
Central places form hexagonal market areas.
Rank-size: second city is half the first.

Do Not Confuse With

Primate city and megacity Dominant in its country versus over 10 million
Hierarchical and morphological classification Rank in a system versus shape of the city
Threshold and range Minimum demand versus maximum distance

Memory Hook

Christaller’s hex, Zipf’s rank, Jefferson’s primate: ranks; compact, linear, nuclear: shape.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for theories of urban systems and their application. These points add depth.

Hierarchy Central places and ranks
Form Morphological types
India Balanced urban system

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Explain the hierarchical and morphological classifications of cities and examine their relevance to the Indian urban system.”

How to Answer

Hierarchy Christaller, Zipf, Jefferson.
Census Size classes.
Form Compact to polynuclear.
India Urban system.

GS Relevance

Prelims: Christaller, Zipf, primate city, global cities. GS Paper 1: urbanisation and urban systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the central place theory?

The central place theory, put forward by the German geographer Walter Christaller in 1933, explains the size and spacing of settlements. Towns serve as centres that supply goods and services to the surrounding area, and higher-order places offer more specialised services over larger areas, forming a hierarchy of settlements with hexagonal market areas.

What is the rank-size rule?

The rank-size rule, formulated by George Zipf in 1949, says that in a balanced system of cities, the population of a city is equal to the population of the largest city divided by the city's rank. So the second largest city has half the population of the largest, and the third one-third.

What is a primate city?

A primate city, a term given by Mark Jefferson in 1939, is a city that is much larger than any other city in the country, and dominates its economic, political and cultural life. Bangkok, Paris and Buenos Aires are examples. India does not have a primate city because several cities are of similar size.

How does the Census of India classify towns by size?

The Census classes towns into six size classes: Class I with a population of 100,000 and above, Class II with 50,000 to 99,999, Class III with 20,000 to 49,999, Class IV with 10,000 to 19,999, Class V with 5,000 to 9,999 and Class VI with less than 5,000.

What is a polynuclear city?

A polynuclear city is a city that has grown around several separate centres or cores instead of one, often because neighbouring towns have grown together. Kolkata and Howrah, Mumbai with Thane and Navi Mumbai, and Hyderabad with Secunderabad are examples. It reflects the multiple nuclei model of urban structure.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Walter Christaller proposed the central place theory.

True

In 1933.

2 India has a primate city system dominated by one city.

False

Several cities are of comparable size.

3 Class I towns have a population of 100,000 or more.