Factors Affecting the Site, Growth, and Functions of Settlements

Factors Affecting the Site, Growth, and Functions of Settlements

IGCSE Geography

​Recap: Types of Rural Settlements

​Based on how the houses are distributed there are three types of settlements:

​

• Dispersed settlement

• ​Nucleated settlements

• ​Linear settlements

Dispersed Settlements​

• ​a pattern in which individual houses and farms are widely scattered throughout the countryside.

• ​common in a sparsely-populated area

​Australian Outback

AFRICAN SAHEL

NUCLEATED Settlements​

• ​a pattern in where houses and other buildings are tightly clustered around a central feature such as a church, village green or crossroads.

• ​Some nucleated settlements are usually termed hamlets or villages.

Medieval Towns

rural VILLAGES

linear Settlements​

• houses are spread out along a road or a river.

Roads

COASTS

​Other kinds of settlements

Cruciform settlements - occur at the intersection of roads and usually consist of lines of buildings radiating out from the crossroads.

​

​Green village - consists of dwellings and other buildings, such as a church, clustered around a small village or common, or other open space.

Factors Affecting the Site, Growth, and Functions of Settlements

​Lesson Objectives

• ​Identify and describe the factors that influence the site, growth and function of settlements.

• ​Define the following:

  • ​Site

  • ​Situation

  • ​Dry and Wet Point Sites

  • ​Accessibility

​Nansha in 1985

​Nansha in 2021

Why do you think Nansha is here?

Open Ended

Why Nansha is here?

​Site and situation

• Site - ​the actual on which a settlement is built

​

• ​Situation or position - the relationship between a particular settlement (its location) and its surrounding area (other factors).

​

In the past geographers have emphasised the importance of physical conditions on the pattern of settlement, land tenure and the type of agriculture practised.

Increasingly, social and economic factors are important, especially in explaining recent changes in rural settlements.

How do early settlers choose a settlement?

• ​availability of water

• ​freedom from flooding

• ​level sites to build on

• ​local timber for construction and fuel

• ​aspect (in relation to the sun)

• ​rich soil

• ​potential for trade and commerce

​Where are settlements are located?

​Wet point site - an elevated site in an area of otherwise poor natural drainage. (small hills, islands, etc.)

​

​Dry point site - a site with a reliable supply of water from springs or wells in an otherwise dry area.

​

​*spring line settlements - occur when there is a line of sites where water is available

​**villages at important river crossings are excellent centres of communication

Guangzhou

​Started as a small town inhabited by the Baiyue people. It became a small city under the Qin dynasty (221-207) known as Pan Yu, and later named as Guangzhou in AD 226.

​

​It was popular for trading and later became a large walled city. Western Europeans sent envoys to Guangzhou in the early 1500s. The area served as one of the few open spots for foreign trade.

Guangzhou

Global Trade

Politics

Military

Migration

Resources

Accessibility

In extreme environments, settlements are generally small.

Settlements in the more favoured areas had greater potential for growth (wider range of services and functions.

​Other factors: trade and communication

Cairo and the Nile River

Paris and the Seine River

Johannesburg

​Functions change over time.

Many settlements turned from fishing villages to tourist resorts; rural settlements become dormitory settlements... due to accessibility to nearly urban centres.

​Activity: Locating settlements

• ​Use the Guangzhou map posted on MS Teams.

• ​Follow the Nansha Project groupings:

  • ​Supposed it's 1985. Discuss with your groupmates the ideal characteristics of a settlement.

  • ​Choose an ideal site location for your settlement, mark it on the map, and make a short presentation.

  • ​Share the reasons to the class by covering the following:

    • What's the name of your settlement?​

    • Where is your chosen location?

    • ​What are the reasons in choosing such a location?

​Note: There's no wrong answers as long as you give good reasons for your choice.