Settlements (hierarchy structures , range, etc) + New York case study

Define settlement

A place where people live. Can either be permanent or temporary

Define site

The physical land on which a settlement is built

Define situation

The position of a settlement in relation to the surrounding physical and human features

Define function

This is a settlements main social and economic purpose

Trading centre

The towns and cities where buying and selling of items produced elsewhere for profit occurs

Define a nucleated settlement

Settlements where the houses are grouped closely together typically around a central feature like a church, pub or village green

Define a linear settlement

These are settlements where the buildings are constructed in lines along a geographical features like a river or following a road

Define a dispersed settlement

These are settlements where the houses are spread out over a wide area

Define an isolated settlement

These consist of a single farm or house very remote from any other one

Factors that affect the growth of a settlement

• Climate

• Access to raw materials

• Fertile land

• Historical

Define a dormitory town

Main function is to provide housing - have few services and little industry

Define a market town

Main function is to provide services for the local area - often found near fertile land & have good transport links to the local area

Define an administration

These settlements are county towns that employ large numbers of civil servants in local government

Define industrial

Main function is to provide jobs in secondary industry (factories)

Define tourist resort

Main function is for tourists to visit

Define settlement hierarchy

A method of arranging settlements based on their population size and the number of services provided

Name the layers of the settlement hierarchy starting from the bottom (7)

Isolated dwelling → Hamlet → Village → Small town → Large town → City → Conurbation

Example of low-order services

Post office, general store, pub

Define a high-order service

A service, usually expensive, that people typically only use occasionally

Example of a high-order service

Schools, chain stores, hospitals, leisure centres

What types of services do towns offer

Both low and high-order services

Define sphere of influence

The area that a settlement serves. It is the distance that people will travel to obtain a particular service or product. The larger the settlement, the greater the influence

What is the range

The maximum distance people are prepared to travel to obtain a particular service

Define low order goods

Goods that are bought regularly - eg. milk or bread. People are not prepared to travel far to buy a convenience good

Define high order goods

An expensive good that people only buy occasionally - eg. electrical goods and furniture. People are prepared to travel some distance to obtain the goods

what are the factors that effect urban growth

1. natural increase

2. rural- urban migration

natural increase

when people living in an area have more children causing the population in that area to increase. as well as young people tend to move to the city and have higher birth rates. as well a better medical facilities decreasing infant mortality

rural-urban migration

these are the push and pull factors of each place the pull factors of the city and the push factors of the village

what are the differences between rural and urban settlements

1. population size

   • the minimum population for the classification of towns varies from country to country

2. economic activity

   • rural areas are usually involved in primary activities while urban areas are involved with secondary and tertiary

3. services

   • schools, hospitals, shops, public transport and banks

   • are usually not available or are limited in rural settlements urban areas will have a lot more of these

4. land use

   • in rural areas settlements are widely spaced and the land Is used for one or two activities.

   • urban areas are more compact with a greater mix of land uses

what are the functions of a rural area

1. residential

2. provide agricultural services

3. market for produce

4. shops and banks

5. education

6. dormitory towns to near by cities

7. leisure or tourism

what are some functions of urban areas

1. residential

2. agricultural (less important)

3. mining

4. manufactoring

5. retail and wholesale trade

6. transport, banking,commerce

7. insurance and finance

8. administration and government

9. entertainment and sport

what are the 6 classifications of settlement functions

1. retail function

   • settlements which are the main shopping centres for an area and are easily accessible

2. an industry town or city

   • manufacturing is the main employer , and are associated with a particular industry

3. ports

   • these are essential for international trade

4. cultural centres and university towns

   • some are known for their educational services like oxford

5. resorts

   • rely on tourist income and jobs in the town. these have a high services to cater for the tourists. but the permanent rest of the population are quite small

6. administrative center

   • these are the centre of local government and employ a high number of civil servants

what are the 3 reasons why settlements change over time

1. industrial change

   • decline of manufacturing industry because of cheeper imported goods

   • old retail centres decline due to the growth of numbers of town retail parks and supermarkets

2. change in planning policy

   • environmental policy has encouraged the development of brown field sites. these are sites of industry, retail or housing that are now derelict

3. social change

   • increased wealth and travel has meant decline in tourism in some places and an increase in others

3 ways which a settlement fits into a hierarchy

1. population size

2. number of services provided

3. sphere of influence

what are 2 important things to remember in population size

1. as settlement size increases the number of settlements decrease

2. as settlement size increases so the distance between them generally also increases