Assumes cities develop and are based on industry
• Assumes the condition of the land is the same everywhere
• Commuter villages defy the theory, being in the commuter zone but located far from the city
• Decentralization of shops, manufacturing industry, and entertainment in modern times thanks to
modern transportation systems
• Urban regeneration and gentrification - more expensive property can be found in 'low class'
housing areas
• Many new housing estates were built on the edges of cities in Britain
• It does not address local urban politics and forces of globalization
• The model does not work well for cities which are essentially federations of similar sized
towns, for example Stoke-on-Trent