A Theory on Why Dhaka Has the Best Spot on Earth for a City

Politics and history aside, the single best place on Earth to build a city may be right where Dhaka, Bangladesh, sits. At least, that’s the conclusion that Wendover Productions, makers of snazzy explainer videos on things like failing trains and European density, comes to during its dive into the theories that explain why cities are located where they are today.

To understand what makes Dhaka—or rather, its location—so precious for cities, the video takes us to a 1930s theory by the German geographer Walter Christaller. Called the central place theory, it argues that cities and towns serve primarily to provide goods and services to surrounding areas. The more specialized goods a settlement has, the larger its sphere of influence. That’s what helps cities, which tend to have advanced hospitals and airports, for example, serve more people farther away. The idea is that people are willing to travel to use those services.