Page |1

Urban settlements
 A settlement, which is multifunctional and associated with secondary,
tertiary and quaternary economic activities.
Types of urban settlements (page, 190, PLT)
Three main types/categories of urban areas/settlement:
1. Central places
 They supply urban services to their surrounding rural communities.
E.g. Louis Trichardt provide services to Sinthumule, Tshikota and
Nzhelele residents.

 Goods or services may be classified as low / convenience or high

order / comparative goods/services.

Urban hierarchies (page, 192, PLT)

Defined as ranking of urban settlements according to functions.

Three definitions related to central places

1. Threshold population: The number of people needed for a
business to make a profit.
2. Range: A distance a person will travel to obtain a goods or
services.
3. Sphere of influence: This is the area that people travel from to
get a service or to use a shop.

Page 1 of 15
 Page |2

Summary of Central places

These are the Small towns that supply goods and services from urban to
surrounding rural area.
 Low / convenience order  High / comparative order good
goods / services / service

Definition  A function or good you need or  A function or good you buy less
buy often/frequently, Low price, often or do not need on a regular
necessities and are consumable. basis. They are durable, buy
occasionally, high price; luxury.
Examples 1. Low order goods: bread, High order goods: television,
milk, petrol designer shoes
2. Low order services: High order services: specialist
clinic, mechanics, primary doctors, secondary school,
school, colleges university.

Threshold population  Larger number of people  Smaller number of people

Range of goods  Short distance  Long distance
Sphere of influence  Smaller sphere of influence  Bigger sphere of influence
Number of the shops or  Many – people want to buy low  Few – people do not need high
services order goods and services on a order goods and services very
regular basis. often.

Page 2 of 15
 Page |3

2. Trade and transport towns and cities

 Urban settlements that established due to trade and

transportation. E.g. Cape town, Durban; East London are
developed around a harbour.

These settlements can be divided into:

1. Break of bulk points

Are locations where one type of transport is replaced by
another. E.g. Durban harbour, where transportation of goods
changes from sea to land or rail or from land or rail to sea.

2. Junctions towns
A town that forms where roads or railway intersect/converge.
E.g. Louis Trichardt, Polokwane

Page 3 of 15
 Page |4

3. Gateway tows or gap towns

They develop at a point of access over a physical barrier, for
example at a river pass.

4. Bridge towns
They occur at points along rivers where they may be crossed.

3. Specialised town and cities

 Specialised settlements which have one predominate function.

E.g. Mining town – Phalaborwa

E.g. Education town – Stellenbosch

Page 4 of 15
 Page |5

Structure of an urban area (page 197-201, PLT)

1. Urban land use zones

 An area in a city where one land use is dominant. E.g. housing, shops, or
industry.

1.1 CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD) -The economic heart of the city.

 In the city centre

 Highest land values
 Most accessible
 Highest building density
 Concentration of shops and offices
 Tallest buildings

1.2 TRANSITIONAL ZONE / DECAY ZONE

 Defined as a zone of mixed functions, where land is changing.

 Zone of mixed and changing land use, e.g. residential becoming

commercial
 Edge of CBD
 Landlords are not maintaining the area or buildings
 Working class residents live here, in high-density flats or small
houses.

Page 5 of 15
 Page |6

1.3 INDUSTRIAL ZONE

 They are situated in the transition zone.

1.3.1 Light industry 1.3.2 Heavy industry

 Found near road transport as raw materials  Found near major road and rail networks for
are transported easily. transport of products
 Little noise and air pollution created by these  Heavy air and noise pollution
industries  Heavy machinery
 No heavy machinery  Found on the outskirts of the city where land is
cheapest
 Needs to be on flat land, near a water source

Page 6 of 15
 Page |7

1.4 RESIDENTIAL ZONE

1.4.1 Middle- to high-income residential / upper class residential

 Townhouses and big houses
 Larger properties as more space is available
 Good services and facilities, including recreation areas

1.4.2 Low-income residential / working class residential

 Fewer facilities and poor service
 Smaller space available

1.4.3 Informal settlement

 No service delivery (no roads, sanitation, water, electricity or
schools)
 High poverty levels
 Unhealthy conditions
 Very dense housing with unplanned street patterns
 High crime rates
 Houses are built out of plastic, wood, zinc, etc.

Page 7 of 15
 Page |8

1.5 RURAL - URBAN FRINGE

 Where the city and countryside meet.

 Land use starting to change from rural to urban as city expands
 Urban functions like rubbish dumps, airports, cemeteries, golf,
courses Stadiums, Parks and Resorts.
 Cheap land

1.6 RECREATIONAL ZONE

 Open or green spaces in a city where the focus is recreation and

conservation.
 Golf courses, Stadiums, Parks AND Resorts are constructed.

Page 8 of 15
 Page |9

Factors that influence the location of each land use zone

1. Centrifugal forces – forces which push people and functions out of the CBD
to other zones.

1.2 This process is called “Decentralisation” – when people and functions

move out of the CBD to the suburbs.
Causes of Centrifugal forces / Decentralisation:
 Highest Crime
 Traffic congestion  Pollution
 High land value  Lack of sites
2. Centripetal forces – forces which pull people and functions move to the
CBD.

1.1 This process is called “Centralisation” – when people and functions are
centralised in the CBD.

Causes of Centripetal force / Centralisation:

 Safety
 Better infrastructure
 Better transport route
 Accessibility

3. Low land value zones, such as rural-urban fringe, low income residence, etc.

Page 9 of 15
 P a g e | 10

Urban profile (page, 201, PLT)

An urban profile is a side view of urban area.
This shows all the land use zones in urban area.

STRUCTURE & PATTERNS OF URBAN SETTLEMENTS.

(Page, 202, PLT)
Street patterns
Gridiron / Rectangula Radial pattern Un-planed Irregular pattern
pattern
Roads intersect/meet at right Roads radiate outwards from No clear structure, it can be
angles. central point. E.g. CBD planned or unplanned.

Advantages Advantages Advantages

 Shorter routes  Less intersections  Improves traffic flow
 Easy to extend  Easies flow of traffic  Less traffic congestion
 Easy to find places/way  All roads lead to central point  Less intersections

Disadvantages Disadvantages Disadvantages

 Causes traffic congestion  Traffic jams  Can get lost
 Time consuming  Traffic is slow  Travel longer distances
 Fuel consuming  Fuel consuming  Not easy to extend
 Road rage/frustration
 Many intersections/robots
 Car accidents

Page 10 of 15
 P a g e | 11

Planed irregular

Advantages: Disadvantages:

 Roads don’t look all the  Traffic congestions

same  Easy to get lost
 Makes area look attractive.  Traffic can become chaotic
 Fewer intersections
 Safer (many crescents
and cul-de-sacs)

Changing Urban Patterns and Land Use and the South African City
(Page, 210-212, PLT)
1. Urban decay

 Is the decline of inner cities or city centres.

 It is caused by decentralisation of the city

2. Urban renewal
 The process whereby an urban area is renewed.

Urban renewal processes:

2.1 Facadism – The process of keeping the external fronts of the building
but .renovate the rest of the building.

2.2 Gentrification- Upgrade decay areas in the inner city.

Page 11 of 15
 P a g e | 12

Aim/Advantages of urban renewal programmes

 Renovating the urban area
 Speed up service delivery
 Develop skills and create jobs
 Decreases crime and urban decay

Disadvantages Inner city renewal

• The area changes from a low-income to a high-income area.

• The current residents must move away to areas with worse social problems.
• Businesses that supply low-income residents can suffer.

3. Invasion and succession-one inappropriate land use replaced by another

more appropriate land use e.g. residential to commercial.

 Homes become doctor’s rooms, hairdressers and spaza shops.

4. Edge cities – A large commercial centre on the outskirts of shopping,

entertainment and residential functions.

 This is caused by Decentralisation which leaves new suburban cities

or edge city. E.g. Sandton

Page 12 of 15
 P a g e | 13

Urban settlement issues / problems.

(page 215-22, PLT)

Urban problems are on the increase because of rapid urbanisation

 Urbanisation
Defined as the increase number of people living in urban areas.

 Rate urbanisation
Defined as a speed at which urbanisation is taking palace.

 Urban sprawl
Defined as the process whereby the boundary of a city expands and extend
into the rural area.

Urban sprawl usually occurs on the rural-urban fringe.

Page 13 of 15
 P a g e | 14

Urban problems / Issues:

1. Traffic Congestion
2. Urban decay
3. Centralisation / Overcrowding in CBD
4. Informal settlements

(1) Traffic Congestion Problem / Issue (too many cars on the road)
Causes Effect Solution / strategies
 Too many people using own  Air pollution  Improve public transport
cars  More accidents • Lift schemes
 Not enough public transport  Stress, health problems • Decentralisation of businesses
 Old street pattern and road rage • Provide parking facilities on edge of
CBD

(2) Urban decay problem (where parts of the city are not looked after or are over-used).
Causes Effect Solution / strategies

• CBD turned into • Slums will develop • Buildings Renovation

residential areas • Services and facilities will decline. • Urban Renewal
• Too many people • Increased pollution • Improve services and facilities
living in the city • Area becomes dirty and neglected • Reduce housing density
• Unoccupied/empty (not looked after)
buildings

Page 14 of 15
 P a g e | 15

(3) Centralisation / Overcrowding in CBD problem (too many people and activities
moving into the city/ close to the centre).
Causes Effect Solution / strategies

• High demand for land in • Increased pollution • Decentralisation of functions

the city • Increase in health • Stricter controls on all types of
• Too many people problems pollution
living in the city • increased crime • Build more parks
• Increased destruction • Improve low-income areas
of the environment
• Overuse of resources

(4) Informal settlements – Are palaces of concentrated poverty.

Causes Effect Solution / strategies

• Rural to urban migration. • Increased water and air • Provide basic services (housing,
pollution water, electricity, etc.).
• Increased crime • Provide employment
• Increased destruction • Develop rural areas
of the environment • Encourage low-income rentals
• Increase in health problems buildings

Page 15 of 15