Burgess’ model has stood the test of time but he did make a couple of assumptions
which make his model less accurate than others. For example;
a) The city is built on flat land – (However, many cities are built on hilly land
or around rivers. This can strongly influence land use patterns).
b) Industry chooses to locate as close to the CBD as possible – (Actually
many industries prefer to be close to transport routes or on cheaper land
on the outskirts of town).
c) People with more money choose to live further out of town in the outer
suburbs – (But today there is a growing trend for young, professionals to
live in flats close to the CBD – often in converted warehouses).