This concept, crucial in urban geography, describes a city’s structure as one featuring several distinct nodes or focal points, each serving as a center for specialized activities. These nodes, instead of a single central business district (CBD), influence the organization and development of land use patterns. For example, a city might have a node dedicated to high-tech industries, another to heavy manufacturing, and yet another to residential areas catering to specific income levels. Each nucleus attracts certain activities to its proximity and repels others.
This model offers a more realistic portrayal of complex urban areas than simpler, single-centered models. Its importance lies in its ability to explain decentralized cities, common in the post-industrial era, and its recognition of the role of automobiles in shaping urban landscapes. Historically, it arose as a response to the limitations of earlier models that failed to account for the diversified growth patterns observed in many American cities during the mid-20th century. It acknowledges that urban growth is not always centered around a singular point.
