A Multiple-Nuclei Model city is a city that does not have one central area, but instead has several nodes that act as regional centers for economic or residential activity within one larger city. Los Angeles, with its many distinct neighborhoods, is a prototypical example of this type of city.

A city that lacks a centralized business district or downtown area and that has several distinct neighborhoods that all act as regional centers within one larger city is best captured using the “Multiple-Nuclei Model.”