Equivalence of central place and economic base theories of urban growth

Economic base theory is discredited as a theory of urban growth; central place theory, although receiving some criticism, continues to enjoy some acclaim. In this paper I show that these two theories are equivalent so that previous criticisms of base theory also apply to central place theory. None-theless, the market expansion in both theories can lead to productivity increases because “the division of labor is limited by the extent of the market.”