Which statement best describes the Burgess concentric zone model and its assumptions?

• A. The city is organized in concentric rings around the central business district, with land value and density decreasing with distance; assumptions include a monocentric city, uniform transportation costs, and social classes arranged by land value.
• B. The city features wedge-shaped sectors radiating from the CBD along transportation corridors.
• C. The city contains several centers of activity and a polycentric structure.
• D. Land rents rise with distance from the CBD.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the Burgess model sees the city growing outward from a single center in a series of concentric rings. The central business district sits at the core, with land value and density highest near the center and steadily decreasing as you move away. The key assumptions behind this pattern are that the city is monocentric (one core), transportation costs are uniform so distance from the center is the main factor shaping land use, and social classes are arranged by land value (higher-value land is closer to the CBD, with wealthier groups occupying outer rings as value declines). This combination produces the familiar rings: an inner transition zone, then working-class housing, then more residential areas, and finally outlying commuting zones. The option captures all of that. In contrast, wedged sectors describe a different pattern along transport corridors, a polycentric model involves multiple centers of activity, and the statement that rents rise with distance from the CBD contradicts the Burgess idea that rents and density are highest near the center and decline outward.