Central-place theory, including the ideas of threshold and range, was developed by which geographer?

• A. Christaller, Walter
• B. Weber, Alfred
• C. Mackinder, Halford
• D. Hoyt, Homer

Answer: (A)

Central-place theory explains how settlements function as market centers for surrounding areas, shaping where towns form and how big they become based on the goods and services they provide. The key ideas of threshold and range help determine the size and spacing of these centers. Walter Christaller developed this framework, showing how settlements are distributed in a way that optimizes access to services. He illustrated how a larger town offers more specialized services, while smaller towns supply everyday needs, all organized to cover their hinterlands effectively. Threshold is the minimum number of customers needed to support a service, and range is how far people are willing to travel to use that service. The hexagonal pattern Christaller proposed helps explain uniform market areas and distances between towns. Other names listed relate to different theories—Weber is known for the least-cost approach to industrial location, Mackinder for political-geography ideas like the heartland, and Hoyt for the sector model of urban land use—so they don’t describe central-place theory.