Describe Griffin-Ford's Latin American City Model and the role of the spine in land-use patterns.

• A. A central CBD with a commercial spine extending outward; elites live along the spine; zones of disamenity and peripheral growth appear away from the spine.
• B. A city with a grid network lacking a spine.
• C. A CBD isolated from residential zones.
• D. Uniform outward growth with no spine.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is how the spine shapes land-use patterns in Griffin-Ford’s Latin American City Model. In this model, a central business district sits at the core, but a long, prominent commercial spine extends outward from it. This spine concentrates much of the city’s commercial activity and often becomes a corridor that wealthy residents use for easy access to both the CBD and the amenities along the spine. As you move away from the spine, land use shifts toward higher density residential areas and, further out, zones of disamenity and peripheral growth where poorer communities and informal housing commonly appear. This pattern—CBD at the center, a long outward commercial spine with elites along or near it, and disamenity zones beyond—best captures how Griffin-Ford envisions land use in many Latin American cities. The other options don’t reflect this distinctive spine-driven structure.