LAND USE

Settlements and Land Use

Unit 1: Urban Settlements

  • Urban settlements are areas where people live and work, distinct from rural areas where agriculture is prevalent.

    • In urban settlements, most people do not work on farms, but rather in buildings and retail, especially as street traders.

    • Urban areas comprise various types of buildings that are usually grouped by their function:

    • Factories are located in industrial areas.

    • Houses and flats are present in areas designated for residential purposes, giving urban settlements a unique appearance based on their building types.

Land Use within Urban Settlements

  • Land use zones: specific areas designated for particular purposes in urban settings.

    • Example: An area with many factories is termed an industrial zone.

    • Areas abundant with shops, offices, and restaurants are referred to as business zones or districts, with the core of the city known as the Central Business District (CBD).

  • Figure 3 illustrates various land uses in an urban settlement including:

    1. CBD (Central Business District)

    2. Light Industry

    3. Low Income Housing

    4. Middle Income Housing

    5. High Income Housing

    6. Heavy Industry

    7. New Shopping Centre

    8. New Housing

    9. Recreation Area

    10. Poor Informal Housing

    11. Business Park and Service Industries

Key Terms

  • Residential Area: The geographic space where people reside.

  • Suburb: A residential zone situated on the outskirts of an urban area.

Central Business District (CBD)

  • Usually occupies the central part of an urban area with:

    • Busy streets, numerous shops, offices, and transport facilities (e.g., taxi ranks, train, and bus stations).

    • Government buildings are commonly found within this area.

    • Some residents live close to the CBD.

Industrial Zones: Light vs. Heavy Industry

  • Light Industry:

    • Occupies smaller buildings, requiring fewer heavy machines and bulk resources.

    • Examples: Electrical, food processing, packaging, and clothing industries.

  • Heavy Industry:

    • Occupies larger buildings and requires more land due to the use of bulky resources.

    • Examples: Oil refining, cement factories, iron, and steel industries.

Residential Areas

  • The majority of urban land is dedicated to residential use:

    • Three types of residential areas exist:

    • High-Income Housing: Larger houses with gardens.

    • Middle-Income Housing: Moderate-sized homes.

    • Low-Income Housing: Compact homes often with overcrowded living situations and limited amenities.

    • Areas distant from the CBD are termed suburbs.

Shopping Centres

  • Typically located in middle- and high-income suburbs, these centres house numerous shops and services.

    • Designed with ample space for vehicles, taxis, and public transport.

Unit 2: Rural Settlements

  • Types of Rural Settlements include: farming, mining, forestry, and fishing.

    • Approximately 30% of South Africans reside in rural settlements, primarily engaged in land-based occupations.

Farming Settlements

  • These settlements focus primarily on agricultural production.

    • Residents can live on individual farms or in clustering villages, surrounding agricultural land including grazing areas.

    • Figure 8 depicts individual farming with the presence of:

    • Houses

    • Tractors

    • Cattle and vegetable fields.

Mining Settlements

  • Emerging around valuable mineral deposits.

    • Mining camps develop into towns, as illustrated by a mining settlement in Mali due to local gold deposits.

Forestry Settlements

  • These are established around sawmills to supply wood, essential in timber production and paper manufacturing.

Fishing Settlements

  • Found along coastal regions and lakes, with locals engaged in catching or processing fish (as displayed in Figure 12).

Urban Growth from Rural Origins

  • Some rural settlements evolved into major urban centers.

    • Example: Johannesburg emerged from a mining settlement in the 1880s.

Unit 3: Aerial Photography and Land Use Interpretation

  • Aerial Photographs provide a top-down view of urban landscapes, categorized mainly into:

    1. Vertical Aerial Photographs: Taken with cameras fixed parallel to the ground for a clear map view.

    2. Oblique Aerial Photographs: Captured from an angle, offering both top-down and side perspectives.

Interpretation of Aerial Photographs

  • Vertical Aerial Photographs are crucial for understanding layouts of settlements and transport systems due to their clarity and detail.

  • Natural Features on these photographs typically display more irregular shapes, whereas constructed features exhibit straighter lines and patterns.

  • Practical information gained includes:

    • Rivers appear darker and shape irregularly.

    • Trees generally appear darker with distinct patterns in planted forests vs. natural forests.

Unit 4: Urbanization in South Africa

Concept of Urbanization

  • Urbanization refers to the shift of populations from rural areas to urban centers, increasing the urban population proportion.

    • 60% of Africa's population resides in urban areas, the highest global urbanization rates.

Factors Leading to Urban Growth

  • Push Factors: Circumstances that compel individuals to exit a location, such as conflict, poverty, natural disasters, and lack of opportunities.

  • Pull Factors: Attractions of urban areas, including better job prospects, increased safety, and improved living conditions.