Settlement and Land Use Notes

Settlement Definition

  • The area in which a group of people resides.

Types of Settlements

  • Isolated Farmhouse: A single farming residence.
  • Hamlet: A small settlement consisting of a few houses.
  • Village: Larger than a hamlet; often with basic services.
  • Small Town: More developed; has various services.
  • Town: A significant population; more infrastructure than a small town.
  • City: A large settlement with extensive infrastructure.
  • Large City: Greater population and diversity of services.
  • Metropolis: A major city with extensive economic and cultural influence.
  • Conurbation: Large, densely populated urban areas formed by merging cities and towns.
  • Megalopolis: A group of overlapping metropolitan areas.

Urban Settlements

  • Characteristics:
    • Predominantly involved in the primary sector: mining, agriculture, forestry, fishing.
    • Generally lower education levels, accessibility to information, high fertility and mortality rates.
    • Homogeneous communities, usually with outward migration.
  • Rural Settlements:
    • Focus on secondary and tertiary sectors: manufacturing, construction, human services.
    • Higher education levels and accessibility to information.
    • More liberal outlook and heterogeneity; typically see inward migration.

Land Use Zones

  • The way land is utilized for various purposes in a given area:
    • Central Business District (CBD):
    • Located in the middle of urban areas with busy streets, shops, offices, and government buildings.
    • Transport centers for taxis and buses.
    • Zones for Light and Heavy Industry:
    • Light Industries: Small-scale industries like electrical, food processing, and clothing factories.
    • Heavy Industries: Larger-scale industries like oil refining and cement production.
    • Residential Areas:
    • The largest portion in cities.
    • Various income groupings: high-income (bigger houses, gardens), middle-income, and low-income (smaller houses).
    • Includes suburbs located further from the CBD.
    • Shopping Centres:
    • Located in middle- and high-income areas offering various retail services.
    • Services and Recreation:
    • Services such as healthcare, mechanics, waste management.
    • Recreational areas include parks and sports facilities.

Rural Settlements Overview

  • Farming Settlements: Primarily focused on food production, often featuring farms or villages surrounded by fields.
  • Mining Settlements: Both temporary and permanent based on exploration; can suffer from depopulation when resources are depleted.
    • Issues include pollution and unemployment post-depletion.
  • Forestry Settlements: Centers around wood supply for construction and paper, involving issues like deforestation and afforestation.
  • Fishing Settlements: Located along coasts/lakes, focused on fish processing.
    • Concerns include overfishing and environmental impacts from incidents like oil spills.

Identifying Land Use on Aerial Photographs and Maps

  • Types of Photographs:

    • Vertical Aerial: Directly overhead view.
    • Oblique Aerial: Slanted angle view.

  • Natural Features in Aerial Photos:

    • Irregular shapes with darker rivers and trees; clear versus muddy water.
    • Patterns indicating planted versus natural forests.

  • Constructed Features:

    • Straight edges and uniform patterns; regular layout of roads and fields.

Urbanization Conceptualization

  • Urbanization: Movement of people to urban areas increases their proportion in relation to rural areas.

Causes of Urbanization

  • Push Factors: Economic downturns, lack of services, poor living conditions.
  • Pull Factors: Job opportunities, better education, infrastructure, and social conditions.

Historical Context of Urbanization in South Africa

  • Early Settlers (1652): Establishment of Cape Town for shipping supply.
  • Discovery of Diamonds & Gold: Provoked significant migration and urban growth.
  • Formation of the Union of South Africa (1910): Enforced land divisions as part of racial policies.
  • Apartheid (1948): Intensified racial segregation, shaping urban landscapes.
  • Democracy (1994): End of apartheid led to increased migration and informal settlements due to economic struggles.

Challenges with Urban Growth

  • Housing Shortages: Results in informal settlements due to rapid urban influx.
  • Service Provision: Difficulty in providing sufficient schools, healthcare, and other services as the population grows.
  • Common issues include overcrowding and shortages of professionals, particularly in healthcare.