This paper describes briefly an investigation undertaken by the Department of Transport with the assistance of the National Institute for Transport and Road Research and officials in the Provinces and Local Authorities involved in urban transport planning. Through review of existing methods for defining central business districts it was found that there was no common approach amongst the various metropolitan areas. The study lead to recommended procedures to define a hierarchy of areas in city centres. Land values, which are readily available in local authority records, are used as the main criteria. The procedures should give results which not only are comparable from city to city but also are related to transportation planning
