Vance’s Urban Realms Model

Rachel Boyd & Chloe Carter

History

● As a means of improving upon the multiple nuclei model, the geographer James E. Vance, Jr. proposed the Urban-Realms Model in 1964.

● Using this model, Vance was able to look at San Francisco's urban ecology and summarize economic processes into a sturdy model

About the Model

● This model proposes that each realm is a separate economic, social, and political entity that is linked together to form the larger metropolitan framework.

● The model shows that the central business district is losing its dominance

What is a Realm?

● A realm is a self-sufficient urban area with an independent focal point

● It is also referred to as an edge city● Each realm of the model is separate and used for

a different purpose, but are linked together to make one large, fluid city.

The Nature of Each Realm is Based on 5 Criteria...

1. The physical terrain of the area, including water barriers and mountains.

2. The size of the metropolis as a whole.3. The amount and strength of the economic activity

taking place within each of the realms.4. The accessibility internally of each realm in

regards to its major economic function.5. The inter-accessibility across the individual

suburban realms.

What does it Include?

This model includes…● A central city, which is the “new downtown” and

the central business district● A suburban downtown● Edge Cities/Outer Realms● An airport

Why was it Invented?

● The purpose of this model was to explain and predict changing urban growth patterns as the automobile became increasingly prevalent and large suburban “realms” emerged.

● This model does a good job at explaining suburban growth and how certain functions that are normally found in the central business district can be moved to the suburbs

What is it Used for?

● The Urban Realms Model constitutes the latest step in identifying and modelling the modern American urban structure.

● It shows that the outer cities are not "satellites" of the central city, but are in fact becoming cities themselves and shaping the metropolis.

Citations

● http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/Urban-Geography-Models.htm

● https://books.google.com/books?id=SvSzXBBSyzkC&pg=PA205&lpg=PA205&dq=urban+realms+model+ap+human+geography&source=bl&ots=bjLa0xOSZp&sig=oIEsDNboLT0QIBVI3lMauPMKWPg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5SswVcvoMcO0sATG-oHwCw&ved=0CF4Q6AEwDA#v=onepage&q=urban%20realms%20model%20ap%20human%20geography&f=false

● http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CEMQFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Flearn.flvs.net%2Feducator%2Fcommon%2FAPMacro%2FAPHuGHelpSite%2Fmodels_and_theories.pdf&ei=5SswVcvoMcO0sATG-oHwCw&usg=AFQjCNEXeStV5bI74VhqJO_Xb465JdzErw&sig2=g0qmRbiDpoAYVHTW0TqvHQ&bvm=bv.91071109,d.cWc

● https://mhsaphuge3.wikispaces.com/Urban+Realms+Model● https://prezi.com/fujdjw7orcbs/urban-realms-model/