A Size-Function Typology Of Cities

Abstract

In this article the characteristics of an ideal system of classification are presented, and a new system for the classification of urban areas is developed which has these characteristics. Both economic function and size are used as criterion variables for classifying urban areas under this new system. The paper demonstrates the superiority of the size-function system over the purely functional systems and presents a size-functional classification of all urban areas in the United States with over 10,000 population in 1960. © 1967 Population Association of America.