5.8 - Von Thunen Model

Topic 5.8 - Von Thunen Model

• Overview - Topic 5.8 in AP Human Geography focuses on the Von Thünen Model, a theoretical framework explaining agricultural land use based on distance from a central market. Developed in 1826 by Johann Heinrich von Thünen, the model predicts that different types of farming activities are organized in concentric rings around a city. Perishable goods like fruits, vegetables, and dairy are grown closest to the market, while less perishable items like grains and livestock are produced farther away, due to lower transportation costs. Though developed before modern transportation and globalization, the model remains useful for understanding spatial patterns of agriculture and economic decision-making.

• Suggested Skill - Explain spatial relationships across various geographic scales using geographic concepts, processes, models, or theories.

• Enduring Understanding - Availability of resources and cultural practices influence agricultural practices and land-use patterns.

• Learning Objective - Describe how the von Thünen model is used to explain patterns of agricultural production at various scales.

• Essential Knowledge - Von Thünen’s model helps to explain rural land use by emphasizing the importance of transportation costs associated with distance from the market; however, regions of specialty farming do not always conform to von Thünen’s concentric rings.

AP Human Geography