administrative principle

The principle advanced by W. Christaller (1933; trans. C. W. Baskin 1966) which proposes that, in a region with a highly developed system of central administration, settlement is so arranged that one major centre administers six centres of lesser rank, each of which, in turn, oversees a further six centres. The number of settlements at progressively lower levels, starting with the highest in rank, thus follows the sequence 1, 7, 49, 343…This hierarchy is known as k = 7.

Administrative principle