Geography Module 3: Settlement and Land Use

Overview of Settlement Geography

• Settlement is a dynamic field of Geography, meaning settlements are constantly changing and developing. No settlement remains the same as it was in the past or will be in the future.

• A settlement's size can range from the smallest individual farm to the largest city in the world.

• Settlement study focuses on Africa with a specific emphasis on South Africa, covering land use, aerial photography, urbanization, and specific case studies.

Economic Activities and Settlement Types

• Primary Activity: An economic activity involving the direct extraction or use of natural resources, including farming, forestry, fishing, and mining.

• Secondary Activity: An activity that involves manufacturing or processing a raw material into a finished product.

• Tertiary Activity: An economic activity that provides services to the population, such as banking, teaching, nursing, and shopkeeping.

• Urban Settlements:

  • The majority of the population is engaged in secondary activities (manufacturing) or tertiary activities (services).

  • Urban settlements are multifunctional, meaning they have more than one or many different functions.

• Rural Settlements:

  • The majority of the population is engaged in primary activities like farming, mining, fishing, or forestry.

Urban Land Use Zones

Urban settlements are divided into specific districts or zones based on their primary function or use. These zones develop differently as a town grows.

• Central Business District (CBD):

  • This is the main commercial zone of a city or town.

  • It contains many offices and features the tallest buildings in the urban area.

• Industrial Zones:

  • Light Industries: These involve finishing raw materials into products on a small scale. They can be located near residential areas because they require less space and do not produce significant air pollution. An example is a bakery.

  • Heavy Industries: These produce large volumes of finished products and require expansive areas of land and proximity to good transport routes. They are located far from residential areas due to pollution. An example is an oil refinery or a steelworks.

• Residential Zones:

  • This land use covers the largest portion of an urban area and is where people live.

  • High-income zones: Usually located on the outskirts of urban areas. Residents typically have private transport and prefer the quiet environment away from the city center. These areas feature larger plots of land and low population density.

  • Middle-income zones: Usually situated between the city center and the outskirts, offering a balance in proximity to the CBD.

  • Low-income zones: Often located near workplaces or close to major transport routes. Houses are generally very similar in appearance, built on small plots of land, and characterized by high population density.

• Shopping Centres:

  • As towns grow, the need for retail near residential areas increases. Urban areas feature shopping centers ranging from massive malls to individual, isolated shops.

• Recreational Zones:

  • Areas dedicated to leisure and sports, including golf courses, athletics fields, parks, and stadiums.

The Function and Development of Urban Areas

• The function of a settlement is the original reason it was established, such as a discovery of minerals leading to a mine or the establishment of a harbor.

• Examples of original functions include a market for agricultural products or a mining site.

• Once an original function (like mining) is established, the town develops other functions to meet the needs of the workers, eventually becoming multifunctional.

Apartheid and South African Settlement Patterns

• In South Africa, residential classification was historically determined by race rather than just socio-economic status due to apartheid policies.

• Apartheid led to the forced removal of millions of Black people from their original homes to homelands and townships located far from their places of employment.

• Townships like Soweto were created as a direct result of these segregationist policies.

Rural Settlement Patterns and Characteristics

Rural settlements are classified by how close people live to one another and the primary activities they perform.

• Spatial Arrangements:

  • Nucleated Settlement: People live close together in a cluster.

  • Dispersed Settlement: People live far apart from one another.

  • Isolated Settlement: People live very far apart from each other.

• Factors Influencing Rural Settlement Patterns:

  • Water supply: A nucleated settlement may form around a scarce resource like an oasis or a well. If water is abundant, settlements may be dispersed.

  • Soil Fertility: High soil fertility allows people to make a living on small farms, leading to nucleated patterns.

  • Activities: The specific type of work (farming, mining, etc.) dictates where and how people settle.

  • Physical Shape of Land: Geography influences where it is practical to build.

  • Culture and Politics: Traditions or political systems can dictate settlement structure.

• Specific Rural Settlement Types:

  • Mining Settlements: Usually nucleated as people live near the mine. They are often located where minerals are found, sometimes in inhospitable areas like deserts. If a mine is valuable and long-lasting, a rural mining settlement may evolve into an urban settlement as services and industries grow to support workers.

  • Fishing Settlements: Found near suitable ports for boats. These often transition into tourist centers due to their coastal locations.

  • Forestry Settlements: Usually much smaller than mining or fishing settlements, located specifically where forests are found for wood processing.

Aerial Photography in Geography

Aerial photographs are taken from aeroplanes and are used to identify land use and both natural and constructed features.

• Vertical Aerial Photograph: A photograph taken from directly above the target area.

• Oblique Aerial Photograph: A photograph taken at an angle.

Case Studies and Specific Examples

• Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town: An example of an urban waterfront settlement area.

• Soweto: A prominent example of township development resulting from apartheid-era forced removals.

• Phalaborwa, Limpopo: Originally a small rural settlement established for copper mining; it has since developed into a full urban settlement.

• Paternoster, Western Cape: A fishing village that also serves as a major tourist attraction.

Comparison of Urban and Rural Characteristics