ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bid rent theory

Imagine you want to open a lemonade stand in a big city where there are lots of customers. But you can't just open your stand anywhere you want, right? Some places will have too much competition, or people won't want to buy your lemonade there. So, you need to find the best spot to open your stand.

The bid rent theory is a way of understanding how people choose where to live or work in a city. It says that people will pay more money to live or work in a location that is close to the things they need or want. For example, if you want to open your lemonade stand in a place where there are lots of people walking by, you will have to pay more money to rent that spot.

This is because there are lots of other people who also want to rent that spot. They might want to open a coffee shop, a bookstore, or a clothing store. So, the price of renting that spot goes up because there is a lot of competition for it.

The bid rent theory helps us understand why some parts of the city are more expensive than others. If you want to live in a place that is close to the city center, where there are lots of jobs and things to do, you will have to pay more money for your apartment or house. On the other hand, if you are willing to live farther away from the center, you can get a cheaper apartment.

Overall, the bid rent theory helps us understand how people make decisions about where to live and work in a big city, and why some places are more expensive than others.