The name is absent

2. From hierarchies to networks: the heritage of Walter Christaller and new
networking based approaches in planning

Central place theory - a theoretical account of the size and distribution of settlements
within an urban system in which marketing is predominant urban function (Johnston et al
1994, 57) - has been a very basic source for Western regional planning for decades. For
Estonian geographers and planners of 1960’s and 1970s, an important source has been
Edgar Kant’s (1935) work on elaboration and application of Christallers central place
theory in designing administrative system of Estonia.

Walter Christaller (1933) developed his theory using Southern Germany as a source
area. He defined the centrality of an urban centre as the ratio between all services provided
there and the services needed for its own residents. Every central place has its market area
according to services (central goods) provided there. Central places with lower order
functions have denser network and central places with higher order offer also services of
the lower centres.

Very well known and visually attractive is Christaller’s hexagonal spatial structure.
True, such a regular structure does not exist in reality. Also several specialising centres like
mining towns may deviate very much from the general model.

Christaller (ibid.) defined seven levels for its model according to the market-
optimising principle:

1)     Markort, population approx. 1000 inh., distance form other towns 7 km;

2) Amtsort, 2000 inh., 13 km;

3)     Kreisstadt, 4000 inh., 21 km;

4) Bezirkstadt, 10000 inh., 36 km;

5)     Gaustadt, 30000 inh., 63 km;

6)     Provinzstadt, 100000 inh. 109 km;

7) Landstadt, 500000 inh., 187 km.

Edgar Kant (1935) carried out extensive empirical studies analysing trade activities
of centres and transport flows between them and their hinterland. He was probably one of
the first authors outside Germany, who noticed W.Christaller’s theory of central places and
linked it with his own studies. Kant (ibid.) defined 6 (5) levels of central places for Estonia
and distinguished simultaneously two main settlement systems “headed” by so-called full-

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