Urban Settlements

Types of urban settlements​

 

Hamlet​

Village​

Town​

City​

Metropolis​

Megacity​

Conurbation​

Hamlet

  Settlement smaller than a village. Found in rural areas. Not many services provided

Village

Group of houses and commerial buildings. Small population found in rural areas. Smaller than a town

Town

Has it’s own name and govt. Provides a variety of limited service

eg. doctors, schools, banks

City

A place of commerce, culture and population. Signif size and importance with extensive services, infrastructure, and government management.

Metropolis

Capital city of a country/region. Very dynamic, has unis & large medical facilities. Population is high and there is urban sprawl

Conurbation

Extended urban area made up of serveral towns combining with the suburbs of one or more cities

Aust’s Population Stats

• 2021 census counted 25,422,788 people (increase of 8.6% since 2016)

• Aust land area 6th largest in the world

• Aust population density is approx 3 person/sq km (one of the lowest in the world)

• Aust one of the most urbanised countries in the world (nearly 90% pop live in urban areas)

Population Density

Population Density = Population / Land AreaThe measure of people living per unit of area, typically expressed in persons per square kilometer.

Factors of Urban Concentration

Climate & Topography - Aust coastline popular for settlement due to reliable rainfall, fertile land, access to transport. While inland is arid due to fewer water resources & less rain

Transport - access to road, sea, rail & river transport is important to bring goods like food into town

Perceptions of liabilitiy - environmental quality, safety, facilities/services, cultural identity, social connectedness

Environmental Consequences of Urbanisation

open spaces, pollution, traffic, visual aesthetic and resource depletion affecting ecosystems and biodiversity.

What makes an urban area sustainable?

Good quality life to current residents, but doesn’t reduce opportunities for future residents