GEOGRAPHY MODULE

9696 SETTLEMENT

This topic is split into 4 sections

1. Changes in rural settlements

2. Urban trends and issues of urbanisation
3. The changing structure of urban settlements
4. The management of urban settlements
A settlement is just the name for an area where people live. At IGCSE we learnt that
they can be urban or rural.
Urban = Refers to a built up area/ town or city
Rural = Refers to an area of countryside/ villages, hamlets or isolated houses
At I-A level this is too simple, we need to consider that most settlement exist
somewhere on a rural-urban continuum. This means that settlements will not always
be simply urban or rural, but exist along a continuum.
CLASSIFICATION OF SETTLEMENTS
Classification according to size - refers to the physical extent of the settlement or
population size. These two classifications present problems.

Classification according to size- this classification arranges settlements from the smallest to the largest
in terms of physical size.

• Isolated-a farm house

• Hamlet-a small group of houses and a possible church or meeting place

• Village-number of houses, clinic schools, butchery

• Town-several buildings, churches, schools university

• City-greater No of functions

• Conurbation-towns merge

• Megalopolis-multicity built area e.g. BOSHWASH

Classification according to Functions

Function refers to the social or economic activity for which the settlement is best known.

Such activities change as a country goes through various stages of economic development under such a
classification we have

Administrative towns • These have the major govt offices parliament building and they house the
majority of civil servants e.g. Abuja, Harare

Manufacturing cities • These have the major industrial activities e.g. Pittsburg for manufacturing steel.

Resort towns • These house and entertain tourists e.g. Matanzas Cuba, Vic Falls Zimbabwe

Cultural towns

Mining towns • These are towns which owe their initial development to mining activities although some
remain and change functions once the mineral has been exhausted.

Market towns • These develop in farming regions and grow as markets for farm produce Route Centers
• These are usually ports or towns that develop where different routes meet e.g.

Classification according to form and shape

This classification is mainly concerned with the morphology of rural settlements.

Rural settlements develop in many different ways giving them a unique shape (morphology).
The five main settlement patterns that you need to be able to recognise

 Isolated

 dispersed / scattered

 Nucleated / clustered

 Ribbon/linear

 Loose knit

 Defense for example Jericho

 Transport as many settlements tend to grow around route centers.

 Availability of a resource

 Government policy e.g. communes in China, Ujamaa in Tanzania.

 Good transport links (road, rail, river)

 Good fertile land nearby to grow food.

 Flat land, that is easy to build on

 Stable weather that is good for growing.

 Nearby natural resources e.g. fuel

 Good job prospects  Good schools and hospitals

 Good and reliable supply of electricity, gas and water.

RURAL SETTLEMENTS
Characteristics of traditional rural settlements
CHANGES IN RURAL AREAS – LIC’S
Most changes in rural areas in LEDCs are mainly due to rural to urban
migration. See below for some of the positive and negative changes that have
occurred. They are also categorised into social (blue), environmental (green)
and economic (red) changes.
CHANGES IN RURAL AREAS – HIC’S

Main changes in rural settlements in MEDCs (UK)

PROCESS OF RURAL SERVICE DECLINE
MAJOR CAUSES OF RURAL SERVICE DECLINE
1. Rural – urban migration
2. Government concentrating more on urban
3. Market forces (Arrival of supermarkets in local areas)
4. Changing patterns of rural population (different shopping/ consumer pattern)
5. Change in rural population’s expectations (wanting better services

COUNTER-URBANISATION aka RURAL TURNAROUND

 The movement of people from urban areas to rural areas (Socio-economic, Demographic
reasons – to a lesser extent: movements of economic activities) 
Counter-urbanization may occur just beyond the Green Belt (commuting is possible) 
Dormitory settlement - a rural settlement which has become increasingly urbanized in recent
decades and is largely occupied by people who work in nearby urban areas.
The reasons for counter-urbanisation are: • Greater affluence – mobile workforce. • Better transport –
people can easily commute to work. • House shortage anyway due to high population & fewer people
per house. • The need for a cleaner and quieter environment especially for the retired. • Escaping
congestion, high crime rates and high levels of pollution in urban areas. • The introduction of computers
has meant that people no longer need to travel to conduct business in the CBD. • Increased car
ownership has also meant that people can now drive into town easily.

Impact of counter urbanisation on the receiving area  Retired rich people push up prices of properties
 New arrivals have less contribution to economic activities of the areas e.g. provision of labour 
Cultural conflicts develop as rural and urban dwellers interact • Development of rural areas • Growth of
industrial parks, out of town shopping centres  Recreational facilities brought into other wise
agricultural communities and remote areas  There is a general increase in the level of development as
cash flows in  Tastes and living conditions, and services change as people adapt to new life.  It also
results in the formation of suburbanised villages  Agricultural land taken up by urban and recreational
activities  Natural habitats destroyed.  Decline in the rural economy  In LEDCS counter-urbanisation
has been in the form of planned rural developments resulting in the creation of growth points.  It has
resulted in the improvement of rural areas in terms of roads and telecommunication service

Suburbanised villages – • Change in character due to counter-urbanisation. They are also known
as commuter or dormitory towns as people commute to nearby cities. People moving in:

• 1. Wealthy urban residents – can afford expensive housing & travel. • 2. Those that want a better
quality of life due to the better environment. • 3. Elderly people – Retire to quieter environment. • 4.
Tourists. • 5. Second-Home owners
THE CONCEPT OF GREEN BELT
Having an area around an urban metropolis where development can not take
place – to protect rural areas from being interfered by urban development.

Briefly define the term green belt [6] Greenbelt

• This is a ring of heavily protected open land circling an urban area which is established to
prevent the continued growth of many of the largest cities and stop them from merging in
many MEDCS such as England and USA.

Outline the main aims of establishing greenbelts with reference to examples [12]
• They aim is to protect the surrounding countryside from development, and in some cases planning
permission is not usually granted for schemes on green belt land, although there is often great pressure
to allow some proposals through.

• Preserve the special character of towns – maintain identity.

• Assist urban regeneration – Towns must manage the land they have and so it encourages the use of
brown field sites.

• Preserve character of rural areas

• Provide recreation & leisure.

• Create a better environment around the edge of the city.

• Protect agricultural land & woodland from development.

• Safeguard agricultural practices.

RURAL TRANSPORT PROBLEM

• Increase in Car ownership

• Public Transport Decline

• Isolates the poor, the elderly, the young (those without cars)

• Reduction in public transport affected low income household

• Prices of fuel increase – worsened the situations

URBAN TRENDS AND ISSUES OF URBANISATON

The process of urbanization in LIC’s MIC’s and HIC’s
CURRENT PATTERN
• The most urbanized countries (meaning countries with most of the population in urban areas) –
MEDCs

• The highest rate of urban growth are in LEDCs • The rate of rural urban migration has been increasing
in LEDCs

• Whereas in MEDCs – counterurbanisation is the dominant process

• By 2025 – 80% of urban dwellers – developing world

• Since 1970 – urban growth has been declining in MEDCs

Briefly define the term urbanisation [6]
• It is a process by which there is a concentration of people in towns and cities which results from
natural increase and rural to urban migration, it now taking place rapidly in LEDCs
• It also involves a change in employment structure from agriculture and cottage industry to
manufacturing and retailing

• It is a demographic process

• It is an essential element of economic development

• It a driving force behind social change

• it a universal process

Outline the main reasons of rapid urbanisation in MEDCs and LEDCS [12]
Reasons for rapid urbanization
• Industrial revolution

• Spcialisation e.g. Birmingham grew as a result of specialising in brass production

• The multiplier effect which states that if an area receives a financial investment it will stimulate
further growth by attracting other industries.

• Constant improvements in transportation and manufacturing of goods

• Increase in wealth of towns and cities and countries stimulated further growth.

• New transport links allowed further migration from rural areas

• Competition for land around the CBD has increased rate of growth

• Slum clearance has also caused further growth

Reasons for rapid growth in LEDCs

• High population growth rates

• Lower death rates.

• Rampant rural to urban migration

• Intense investment by transnational corporations which has created millions of jobs

• Transfer of technology

• Greater pressure in rural areas due to a large number of people so they move to cities.

• Modernisation of Agriculture – Fewer jobs

• People move to the cities but there is no industrial revolution to support them.

• Industrial Competition – MEDCs seek new markets in LEDCs. This means traditional businesses are
forced out of business.

• Improved communication – People are more aware of urban areas.

What are some of the effects of rapid urbanisation [7]
• Cities lack the economic growth to support the growing population.

• There may be over-urbanisation e.g. Calcutta.

• Problems of primacy – Largest City dominates the country e.g. Mexico City.

• Growth of squatter/spontaneous settlements – Authorities can’t provide enough services for

everyone. 23

• Unemployment – Not enough jobs for the influx of people.

• People forced to work in the informal sector – People are underemployed as they only have
temporary jobs at particular times of the year.

• 50% of city dwellers live in sub-standard housing with very few professionally built housing for the
working class

Case study : Mexico

• People are pulled to Mexico City, a primate city.

• Puebla is a poor, rural region of Mexico where jobs are mainly in agriculture & farming – maize &
beans. There are many push factors, which force people out of Puebla:

• The only place to find work is Mexico City.

• Poor literacy rate – 50%

• Lack of proper housing.

• Lack of clean water & medical care.

• The rural population is growing rapidly.

• People therefore move to Mexico City but are forced to live in spontaneous settlements on the edge of
the city.

• Rapid urbanisation means that there are not enough houses and there are big problems with waste
disposal.

• The infrastructure of the city is falling apart.

• There is a poor location of industry a long way from most people and so there are transport problems.
• There is also a large inequality between rich and poor with separations between them.

• Therefore, urbanisation is very rapid in Mexico due to problems in rural areas and the fact that
Mexico City is a primate city.

Rio
• There are half a million homeless street dwellers in Rio with 2 mlln in favelas in poor quality housing.
• Often attempts are made to remove the houses but they are just rebuilt.

• The favelas also attract crime, violence & drugs.

• Rio has huge problems with traffic congestion with severe pollution problems.

• Most of the time an industrial haze hangs over the city & the water is polluted with sewage
ISSUES WITH URBANISATION
COMPETITION FOR LAND
• All urban areas see this competition for land areas

• Measures: Land prices, rental cost

• A result of free market – however urban areas are not always shaped by free market

• Land use Zoning by government can affect this

FIXING URBAN ISSUES
URBAN RENEWAL, REDEVELOPMENT, REGENERATION, GENTRIFICATION,

URBAN REGENERATION OF UK
• Development of urban areas in a large scale After 2nd world war for example
1. London Docklands Development Corporation (1981)

2. Reconstruction of Canary Wharf

3. For the 2012 Olympic – Lea Valley

CASE STUDY : URBAN REGENERATION

GENTRIFICATION

• The process in which rich professionals buy older property in the inner city areas and renovate them
which is usually done for the purposes of prestige and because of the proximity of inner cities to the CBD
for services.

Reasons for gentrification

• The land is cheap in the inner city area

• The inner city is very close to the CBD which reduces transport costs

• Reduced traffic congestion

• Need to improve inner city

• To stop counter urbanisation Example: The London Docklands
• After the riots of the early 1980?s a report by Lord Scarman proposed a new way of dealing with inner
city troubles. It suggested that these areas should be subject to urban renewal (improving existing
buildings) rather than redeveloping areas by knocking them down and starting again.

The London Docklands is the best known example of an inner city area that has been completely
transformed in this way. The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was set up to renew
the area.{see other hand out for full case study}
What problems can gentrification cause?

– Lower classes feel pushed out by middle classes

– House prices are too expensive for low income groups to afford

– Often ethnic minorities in lower income groups are dispersed from the area and the
area becomes “white middle class”

CHANGING ACCESSIBILITIES/ LIFESTYLE

• As cities spread

There are less concentration of population

• People enjoy higher quality of life

• Better transport routes

• Rise of accessibility to the Urban inner areas

• Increase in personal cars – mean transport system must be developed alongside

• Reasons for this:

1. Rising real incomes

2. Decentralization – forces people to use cars for commuting

3. Growth in number of households – more trips

4. Changes in family – more people working

5. Secondary schools/ university larger – less local – more trips at further distances

6. Perceived high cost/ low quality of public transport

URBAN DECAY
• Refers to a situation whereby in urban areas there are houses which are in various stages of
deterioration

• It is a characteristic of inner city areas 57 Reasons for urban decay

• Natural ageing of the houses

• Growth of residential suburbs

• Suburbanisation(decentralisation of people and services)

• Lack of investment

• Growth of new towns

Solutions to urban decay

• Urban renewal

• gentrification

GLOBAL CITIES
• These are cities that have influences on the global economy – Stock markets

• Affects the international politics

• Are culturally diverse

• Conglomeration of modern cultures

• Technological developments

• Overally: they represent globalization

“Alpha” cities are deemed to be the most important and have the most influence
over the global economy, culture and politics.

In 2008 there were only two Alpha ++ cities – London and New York

After Alpha cities come various ranks of Gamma and then Beta cities.
These levels are based on their business activity, human capital, information exchange,
cultural experience, political engagement

Africa is so far unrepresented on the Alpha list but Lagos, Cairo and Johannesburg may
soon get there

Other cities may decline in importance and fall off the alpha list

Can you remember an example for each level of Alpha city and consider a
reasons for its designation?
Global Cities should not be confused with Mega Cities

World city = a city judged important for its part in the global economy, politics or
culture

Mega city = a city with more than 10 million residents.

A WORLD CITY : NEW YORK [check other handout}
Their location in an urban area is dictated by factors

1. Market forces (supply and demand for service)

2. Government planning (policies)
FUNCTIONAL ZONATION

Function = what something is for

Zonation = the area it is found in
So Functional Zonation = where set areas in an urban settlement have a set function
e.g. Offices (function) are found in the centre of a city (zone)
There are several models (diagrams) of where different functions are found in a city.
Remember they are just models (ideas) not always true to life!

1)Burgess- Concentric Zone Model

2) Hoyt- Sector Model

3) Harris and Ullmann- Multiple Nuclei Model

4) Alonso’s theory of Bid-rent

5) Griffin and Fords- Models of cities in LEDCs