Compare central place theory with the model of urban land-use. Why do both of these urban models assume conditions of an isotropic surface?
These models assume an isotropic surface — a simplified reality — in order to better focus on the influence of space and distance on people’s shopping behavior, or the competition for urban land. Just as a biologist creates clean laboratory conditions for controlled experiments, these models also create controlled conditions in order to focus on one aspect of reality at a time. Each provides a partial view of reality.
