The other Burgess model

In addition to his famous concentric-zone model of urban form, Ernest W. Burgess in 1929 outlined an altitudinal-zone model. It proposed a positive relationship in hills cities between the socioeconomic status of residents and the elevations at which they live. This article suggests a theoretical rationale for this other Burgess model based on the role of amenities in contemporary residential choice. Its performance compares favorably to that of competing models in an empirical test in cities selected to approximate as closely as possible the conditions that it assumes.