CAUTIONARY NOTES ON THE RANK‐SIZE DISTRIBUTION

John B. Parr

Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies, 2019, vol. 31, issue 3, 155-168

Abstract: In the analysis of center populations at both the national and regional levels considerable use has been made of the rank‐size distribution. Within the extensive literature on this distribution, however, there are a number areas that are unclear, neglected, or misleading. Consideration is initially given to the form of the rank‐size distribution and to the manner in which it is related to other distributions, notably the Pareto and the lognormal. Attention is also focused on the application of the rank‐size distribution to data on center size and on the difficulties that arise in this connection, including the problem of establishing rank‐size regularity. The discussion concludes by taking issue with the contention that the rank‐size distribution is of relevance in the design and formulation of urban policy.

Date: 2019
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