centrizonal

Centrizonal is an adjective used in urban geography and planning to describe zones defined by their relationship to a city's central core. The term is a neologism formed from center and zone and is used to refer to areas that lie within or around a central zone and that exhibit characteristics anchored by proximity to the core. In practical terms, centrizonal areas are often high-density, mixed-use districts with strong access to rail or bus networks, employment opportunities, and public services concentrated in the central area. Planning discussions framed in centrizonal terms typically emphasize strengthening the core and improving connections with surrounding neighborhoods, as an alternative to models that privilege only the core or that distribute activity across several centers.

Common characteristics associated with centrizonal thinking include dense street networks, infill development near transit nodes, and the development of corridors that link the central zone with outer districts. The concept is used to analyze how centrality influences land values, housing affordability, and service provision, as well as how growth can be shaped to reduce distances to work and amenities.

Critics caution that centrizonal approaches can exacerbate centralization, congestion, or inequality if peripheral areas are neglected. The term remains more prevalent in theoretical discussions and planning discourse than as a formal, universally defined category. See also central place theory, monocentric city, and polycentric city.