Similarities and Differences in Christaller’s and Losch’s Model

Similarities in Christaller’s and Losch’s Model

1. Both the theories tried to oversimplify the real world by making sets of assumptions.
2. Both Christaller and Losch assumed that the transportation cost is proportional with the distance.
3. There is perfect competition in the market in both the theories.
4. Another similarity in both the theories is that in both of them it is assumed that the population is evenly distributed.
5. Both the theories focus over the spatial arrangement, location, size of urban settlements.
6. Both theories have the concepts of centrality, threshold, complementary area, and range of goods.
7. In both model’s earth has been considered an isotropic surface.
8. Entrepreneurs are economic men.
9. Consumers visit the nearest centres for purchase of goods due to increasing transport cost.
10. Population is evenly distributed.

Differences in Christaller’s and Losch’s Theory

1. Christaller’s theory attempts to realize retail business and services better whereby, Loschian model sought to explain the spatial distribution of market based on manufacturing.
2. For Christaller the hierarchy is composed of a series of discrete levels. Each center in the same hierarchical level produces exactly the same array of goods. For Losch the centers present in the same hierarchy may produce completely different combination of goods.
3. Christaller began his hierarchy from the highest centers such as metropolis while, Losch did the reverse by beginning at the lowest level of hierarchy.
4. Christaller did not take into account the presence of specialized production centers but, was not overlooked by Losch. He considered it.
5. Christaller’s pattern is best suited for those cities which developed in sparse settlement regions but that of Losch’s for densely populated regions.
6. According to Christaller there were 3k values (i.e. for market, transportation, and administration). Whereas according to Losch there can be ‘n’ numbers of k-values possible (ranging from 3-21).
7. Christaller’s theory attempts to realize retail business and services better whereby, Loschian model sought to explain. The spatial distribution. of market based on Manufacturing.
8. Christaller the hierarchy is composed of a series of discrete levels. Each centre in the same hierarchical level produces exactly the same array of goods while in losch the centres present in the same hierarchy may produce completely different combination of goods. of goods.
9. Christaller did not take into account the presence of specialised production centres but, was not overlooked by Losch.
10. Losch used the rotation of hexagons to find the city rich and city poor areas while Christaller didn’t.