This resource paper on geographical theories of urban location is part of a series designed to supplement undergraduate geography courses. The basic reasons for a city are to be found in the activities it performs in a specialized society and the clustering of residences of workers employed in these activities. The city, therefore, remains a cluster of activities, an agglomeration of residences, and a set of local services for the residents. There are three stages of the development of cities and, thus, of the types of activities that support cities including (1) extractive--agriculture, mining, forestry, and fishing; (2) processing--largely manufacturing; and (3) distributive--transportation of goods, wholesaling, retailing, and services. For each stage there is a distinctive type of urban settlement. Part 1 of this essay explains why cities specializing in extractive and processing activities locate where they do. Part 2 explains geography's best developed body of urban location theory, central-place theory, which focuses on the role of market towns in the distributive sector. Also included in part 3 is a list of suggested related readings. (Author/DE)