Final answer:
Central Place Theory explains the emergence of one or two dominant cities within a region as a result of advantageous situation factors and the economies of scale that central cities benefit from compared to their smaller counterparts. The theory, emphasizing the importance of central location and efficient economy of scale, illustrates why economic activities and populations tend to concentrate in larger cities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Central Place Theory helps to explain why, in a metropolitan area or region, there typically exists only one or two large, dominant cities while other cities remain smaller. Developed by geographer Walter Christaller, the theory suggests an idealized hierarchy where people utilize the nearest local market for lower-order goods but travel to larger towns or cities for higher-order goods.
This follows the concept that as transportation was more challenging historically, with the "friction of distance" being great, the most centrally located cities gained situation advantages over peripheral ones. These cities had certain advantageous situation factors that enabled them to outcompete other markets and become dominant centers of commerce and industry.
Applying economies of scale to the growth of cities, it can be understood that cities concentrate people and economic activity because grouping together is more productive than spreading out. Factors contributing to cities becoming large and dominant include the ability to offer an efficient economy of scale for businesses, with a large group of consumers, suppliers, and labor.
Cities attract a significant population base, which allows them to sustain large-scale facilities like sports stadiums and museums, and provide a wider variety of products that appeal to consumers, fueling further growth and centralization.
This concentration effect is self-reinforcing as more centrally located trading towns grow disproportionately due to their better access to markets and resources compared to peripheral towns. Thus, regional urban hierarchy emerges where a few cities become significant central places, and surrounding cities remain smaller due to lesser economic and situational advantages.
Major U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Houston exemplify this as each has unique situation factors that have contributed to their growth and dominance in the region.