Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography Practice Exam

Which model describes urban land use characterized by separated and specialized multiple nuclei?

1. Sector model

2. Multiple-nuclei model

3. Concentric zone model

4. Urban realm model

The correct answer is: Multiple-nuclei model

The Multiple-Nuclei Model is the correct answer because it effectively illustrates how urban areas can develop around several distinct centers, or nuclei, each serving different functions and specialties. This model was introduced by Chauncy Harris and Edward Ullman in their 1945 study and emphasizes that cities don't grow in a uniform pattern around a single center, as suggested by the Concentric Zone Model. Instead, it recognizes the complexity and diversity of urban landscapes where different activities emerge and cluster around various nodes, such as business districts, industrial zones, and residential areas. In contrast, the Sector Model focuses on transportation routes and how different land uses expand outwards in wedges from a central business district, while the Concentric Zone Model illustrates a simpler model of urban land use with different rings representing various socio-economic groups. The Urban Realm Model looks at the decentralization and spatial organization in postmodern cities, which does not specifically highlight the specialized nuclei characteristic of the Multiple-Nuclei Model. Thus, the Multiple-Nuclei Model stands out as the model that best captures the idea of separated and specialized land uses in urban areas.