Which statement best describes the Harris-Ullman model compared to a single CBD?

Which statement best describes the Harris-Ullman model compared to a single CBD?

• A. A city has a single central business district
• B. The city grows in concentric rings
• C. A city has multiple centers of activity rather than a single CBD
• D. A city has sectors along transportation routes

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is a polycentric urban structure. Harris and Ullman proposed that as cities grow, activity concentrates around several centers rather than all clustering in one central business district. These multiple centers—nuclei for different functions like business, industry, universities, transportation hubs, or shopping districts—develop and expand, often linked by roads and transit. This explains why modern cities often have several bustling districts or edge cities, not just one downtown core. So the statement that best captures the Harris–Ullman model is that a city has multiple centers of activity rather than a single CBD. By contrast, concentric rings describe the Burgess model, and sectors along transportation routes describe the Hoyt model, which is why those options don’t fit as well.

The main idea here is a polycentric urban structure. Harris and Ullman proposed that as cities grow, activity concentrates around several centers rather than all clustering in one central business district. These multiple centers—nuclei for different functions like business, industry, universities, transportation hubs, or shopping districts—develop and expand, often linked by roads and transit. This explains why modern cities often have several bustling districts or edge cities, not just one downtown core.

So the statement that best captures the Harris–Ullman model is that a city has multiple centers of activity rather than a single CBD. By contrast, concentric rings describe the Burgess model, and sectors along transportation routes describe the Hoyt model, which is why those options don’t fit as well.