Von Thnen's Model of Land Use

Johann Heinrich Von Thnen (1783-1850) developed a Model of Land Use in 1826.He explained how market base forces influence the location of agricultural land uses. Von Thnen's model was based on agricultural land use but it is not limited to that land use. Main Assumptions The city is located centrally within an "Isolated State" which is self sufficient and has no external influences. The Isolated State is surrounded by an unoccupied wilderness. The land of the State is completely flat and has no rivers or mountains to interrupt the terrain. The soil quality and climate are consistent throughout the State. Farmers in the Isolated State transport their own goods to market via oxcart, across land, directly to the central city. Therefore, there are no roads. Farmers act to maximize profits.

There are four rings of agricultural activity surrounding the city, 1. Dairying and intensive farming occur in the ring closest to the city. Since vegetables, fruit, milk and other dairy products must get to market quickly; they would be produced close to the city. 2. Timber and firewood would be produced for fuel and building materials in the second zone. Before industrialization, wood was a very important fuel for heating and cooking. Wood is very heavy and difficult to transport so it is located as close to the city as possible. 3. The third zone consists of extensive fields crops such as grains for bread. Since grains last longer than dairy products and are much lighter than fuel, reducing transport costs, they can be located further from the city. 4. Ranching is located in the final ring surrounding the central city. Animals can be raised far from the city because they are self-transporting. Animals can walk to the central city for sale or for butchering. 5. Beyond the fourth ring lies the unoccupied wilderness, which is too great a distance from the central city for any type of agricultural product. All agricultural land uses are maximizing their productivity (rent), which in this case is dependent upon their location from the market (Central City) .The role of farmer, is to maximize his profit which is simply the market price minus the transport and production costs. The most productive activities (gardening or milk production) or activities having high transport costs (firewood) locate nearby the market. The model compares the relationships between production cost, the market price and the transport cost of an agricultural commodity and is expressed as follows: R= Y(p c) YFm,

R= Land rent, Y= Yield per unit of land , c= Production expenses per unit of commodity , p= Market price per unit of commodity , F= Freight rate , m= Distance to market. According to the Von Thunen Model, the particular type of production depends on three items, 1. Distance to the market 2. Selling price of the product at the market 3. Land rent Von Thunen Model generally concludes the following on location of agricultural uses, Land uses determine land values and not vice versa. Because of increasing transport costs, producers of goods having high transport costs relative to their value will be able to outbid others for land at the center. With homogeneous land, the land use pattern is one of the concentric zones around the central market, nearness to the center depending on transport costs relative to value. Even though the Von Thunen model was created in a time before factories, highways, and even railroads, it is still an important model. The Von Thunen model is an excellent illustration of the balance between land cost and transportation costs. As one gets closer to a city, the price of land increases. The farmers of the Isolated State balance the cost of transportation, land, profit and produce the most cost-effective product for market.

WEAKNESSES & CRITICISM The model was developed in an isolated state and did not take into consideration differences in sites (local physical conditions). It can be modified by relaxing some of the conditions set forth by Von Thunen: 1. Differential transportation costs.2. Variations in topography. 3. Soil fertility 4. Changes in demand or price of the commodity 5. Government policies Von Thunen also did not consider modern technology that had yet to be invented in his time. For example there are refrigerated cars for the transportation of dairy products which make them last longer and travel longer distance. Also there is the transportation of animals by rail which is faster than having them being grazed into the city. His ideas do tend to apply in LDCs where some of the advantages of modernization apply less so.All in all, the Von Thunen model is a good example of the balance between land cost and transportation costs. The closer you get to the city, the higher the price of land increases. These commercial farmers have to balance the cost of transportation, land, and profit to produce the most cost-effective product for their market. In reality however, things don't work out exactly how theyre suppose to in this model which is true in every model.