The Central Business District (CBD) is the busiest part of every city and experiences high land costs due to demand from many businesses wanting space. In cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong, land in the CBD can cost over $60 million per acre. To accommodate high demand and land costs, CBDs undergo intensive land use by building underground structures like parking garages and subway systems, or building skyscrapers upwards with different uses at each level from retailers on the bottom to apartments at the top.

2. Every city model includes a
Central Business District

3. The Central Business District is the busiest
part of every city and results in high land
costs.

4. Why are there high land costs
in CBDs?
Lots of businesses want space in the CBD
so land is bought out by the highest
bidder.

5. In Tokyo, Japan land in the CBD
can cost $60 million per acre.

6. Most buildings in Tokyo are
restricted to a height of 10 meters
tall to meet regulations for
earthquake safety.

7. Because of High Land
Costs, the CBD goes through
intensive land use by…
1. building underground.
2. building farther up with skyscrapers.

8. Underground CBDs
1. Parking Garages
2. Loading Docks
3. Utility Lines
4. Subway Systems
5. Pedestrian passages
6. Shops and Shopping Malls

9. Underground City in Montreal is a full
underground shopping mall featuring shops
and even apartments.

10. Hong Kong builds upwards and
has the most skyscrapers of
any city in the world.

11. Skyscrapers have vertical
geography.
1. The lowest levels are retailers who sell
to customers on the streets.
2. The middle levels are professional
offices that don’t depend on walk-in
customers.
3. The highest levels are apartments that
take advantage of low noise levels and
view of the city.