Urban and Rural Settlement Geography Flashcards

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering basic and complex geography concepts related to rural and urban settlements, hierarchy, morphology, and land-use zones as presented in the lecture transcript.

Urban Settlement

A multi-functional settlement where the main economic activities are secondary, tertiary, and quaternary activities.

Rural Settlement

A single-functional settlement where the main economic activities are primary activities.

Urban Growth

The increase in the number of people living in urban areas.

Rate of Urbanisation

Measures the amount by which the percentage of people living in urban areas increases from year to year.

Urban Sprawl

The uncontrolled growth or formless expansion of urban areas outwards from a city.

Urban Expansion

The growth in the physical size of urban areas.

Counter Urbanisation

The process where large numbers of people move from urban areas into surrounding rural areas.

Level of Urbanisation

The percentage of the total population living in urban settlements.

Urbanisation

The increase in the percentage of people living in urban areas as opposed to rural areas.

Situation

The location of a settlement in relation to the surrounding area, such as access to natural resources and other settlements.

Site

The land on which a settlement is built, with early factors including water supply, fuel, farming land, shelter, and defence.

Central Place

A town that supplies urban goods and services to the surrounding rural population.

Low Order Goods and Services

Goods or services needed often (e.g., bread, milk, doctor) with a smaller threshold population and a small range.

High Order Goods and Services

Highly specialized goods or services needed less often (e.g., car, furniture) with a larger threshold population and a large range.

Threshold Population

The minimum number of customers or people a function or business must serve to be profitable.

Sphere of Influence

The area from which a settlement draws its customers or the area served by a central place.

Range of Goods

The maximum distance that people are prepared to travel to obtain a specific good or service.

Break of Bulk Point

A place where one mode of transport is replaced by another (e.g., transport changes from sea to land at a harbor).

Gap Town

A town or city found near a physical barrier, like a mountain pass or bridge, that develops to cater to passing traffic.

Junction Town

A settlement located at the intersection of various important transport routes that serves as a nodal point for distribution.

Specialised Town

An urban settlement with one dominant function, such as mining (Welkom), education (Stellenbosch), or industry (Secunda).

Urban Hierarchy

The ranking of urban settlements from smallest to largest based on the number and order of functions in the settlement.

Isolated Farmstead

A settlement that is the smallest in a hierarchy.

Hamlet

A settlement consisting of a loose grouping of a few farmsteads.

Metropolis

A settlement consisting of a major city with satellite towns.

Conurbation

A continuous urban area made up of multiple towns and cities.

Megalopolis

An extensive urban area created by many conurbations growing and joining together.

Urban Morphology

The study of the shape or form of urban settlements, influenced by physical features, transport routes, and resources.

Gridiron Street Plan

A street pattern where roads intersect at right angles ($90$ degrees), common in older cities on flat land.

Radial Street Plan

A layout where roads radiate outwards from a central point, similar to a spider's web or cobweb.

Urban Profile

The view of an urban area from the side, reflecting building height, density, and land value.

Central Business District (CBD)

The centrally located zone with the highest land value, highest building density, tallest buildings, and high-order commercial functions.

Transition Zone

Also known as the zone of decay or blight, this area around the CBD has neglected buildings, mixed functions, and the potential for urban renewal.

Rural-Urban Fringe

The area on the edge of the urban settlement where urban functions invade rural areas, characterized by large properties and diverse land uses like airports and cemeteries.

Greenbelts

Managed zones of natural vegetation or parks within or around the city used for conservation, cooling the city, and tourism.

Informal Settlement

Sometimes illegal settlements made of make-shift dwellings (e.g., squatter camps or slums) located on city edges, often lacking basic services and infrastructure.