Which model explicitly accounts for polycentric urban forms by recognizing multiple nuclei?

• A. Burgess concentric zone model
• B. Hoyt sector model
• C. Harris-Ullman multiple-nuclei model
• D. Alonso bid-rent model

Answer: (C)

This item tests how cities can develop around multiple centers, not just a single downtown. The Harris-Ullman multiple-nuclei model explicitly captures this by proposing several nuclei where different activities cluster—business districts, wholesale and manufacturing zones, educational centers, and residential areas—driven by accessibility, land costs, and functional needs. This framework explains why parts of a city can grow around more than one hub and why travel patterns and land use vary between those centers.

In contrast, other models describe growth around a single center or a different mechanism: Burgess’s concentric zones imagine rings around one central business district; Hoyt’s sector model describes wedges radiating out from the center; and Alonso’s bid-rent model explains how land value and use shift with distance from the CBD but doesn’t inherently account for multiple centers.