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houses increases with distance from the CBD but the density of housing decreases as more
space is available [www.geobytesgcse.blogspot.com. (2007)]. Based on this model, known as
the concentric model, Burgess generalised and concluded that the social patterns of the city
could be usefully shown to fall into five social categories. These were:
• the Central Business District with a relatively small resident population (CBD);
• the zone characterised by a variety of activities including poor quality housing
interspersed between shops, offices, factories and warehouses. Often referred to as
the zone in transition;
• the zone ofworking class people's homes;
• the zone ofmiddle class families;
• the zone of wealthier people who commuted daily to the city and usually owned
cars (Rix et a!., 1987).
This model results in the development of the bid-rent analysis. Ability to pay rent exercises
control over many commercial and industrial functions, segregating them into concentric
zones. This principle can be extended to include residential development and even
agriculture. Clearly, commerce will be able to pay the highest rents and will therefore occupy
the CBD, with specialized shopping and entertainments. Only government administration is
not controlled by the competition ofthe market place, and this opts for a central location for
reasons of convenience. It should be noted that the concentric model has some element of
applicability in the land use zones of Ulundi. The majority of the commercial activities that
can afford high rent are located in the Commercial Business District (CBD). The government
administration for convenience purposes is also located around the CBD in the study area.
Outside the CBD should lie a ring of commercial premises not quite able to afford the high
central rents, together with any light industry that is particularly dependent on patterns of
transport. Here, too, are service firms which deal primarily with businesses in the CBD.
Beyond this zone lies the first zone ofresidential development, again segregated according to
the ability to pay for sites. First to be found are the houses with multiple occupancy, and
beyond them the houses owned by single families (Knapp, 1986).
The concentric model concentrates on bid-rents for a homogeneous area and takes little
account of the peculiarities of the city site or of changes that may take place through time.
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