Which assumption is associated with the Burgess monocentric model?

• A. A monocentric city with a single CBD and uniform transport costs.
• B. A polycentric city with multiple centers.
• C. A random allocation of land uses
• D. A presumption of no transportation costs

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is that Burgess’ monocentric model envisions a city built around one central business district, with land uses and housing arranged in concentric rings as people balance land price against travel costs to that center. This single CBD structure is what drives the characteristic pattern: as you move away from the center, land rents fall because transportation costs rise with distance, shaping where people of different incomes can locate. Among the options, describing the city as having one central CBD best captures this fundamental setup, because it pinpoints the defining feature that produces the ringed urban form in the model. The other ideas—multiple centers, random land-use allocation, or no transportation costs—do not fit how Burgess explains urban structure. (Note: transport costs are not uniform; they increase with distance to the CBD, which is what creates the concentric pattern around that single center.)