Christaller, Walter

Christaller, Walter (1893-1969), German geographer, who pioneered the use of quantitative and statistical techniques in geography. In the 1930s Christaller studied agricultural geography and urban networks in southern Germany. In reaction to the prevailing inductive fieldwork tradition, Christaller collected information on variation in an area, gave an explanation, then tested for empirical confirmation. He is particularly noted for his theoretical work on central places—the role of cities and towns in providing goods and services to a region. His ideas, presented in Die zentralen Orte in Süddeutschland (1933, English translation Central Places in Southern Germany, 1966) have been widely utilized in the United States and in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands.