Settlement Hierarchy

Settlement Hierarchy

IGCSE Geography

​Lesson Objectives

• What are settlement hierarchies and how do they affect people?

• ​Define the following:

  • ​Settlement hierarchy

  • ​Low-order services

  • ​High-order services

  • ​Sphere of Influence

Draw

As one group, draw something that represents hierarchy.

​Hierarchy Of settlements

• Hierarchy means 'order'​

• ​The organisation and structure of settlement based on size and the number of functions that a settlement has.

• ​Types of services these settlements are categorized into two groups:

  • ​Low-order services

  • ​High-order services

​Low-order Services

• ​Items or services that are purchased/required frequently (convenience goods), such as milk or bread.

• General stores, a small post office or a pub offer low-order sevices.​

• People are not prepared to travel far to buy such items.

​HIGH-order Services/Functions

• Expensive services and goods (comparison goods) such as electrical goods and furniture, that the shopper will buy only after making a comparison between various models and different shops.

• ​Schools, church, community centres also belong to these groups.

Multiple Choice

Which is which?

• Low Order Goods/Services

• High Order Goods/Services

Multiple Choice

Which is which?

• Low Order Goods/Services

• High Order Goods/Services

Multiple Choice

Which is which?

• Low Order Goods/Services

• High Order Goods/Services

Multiple Choice

Which is which?

• Low Order Goods/Services

• High Order Goods/Services

• The higher up the hierarchy, the more services offered and more diversified it goes.

​Range of a Good and Threshold

• ​The maximum distance that a person is prepared to travel to buy a good

  • ​low-order goods have a small range while high order goods have larger range

• ​Threshold: the minimum number of people necessary before a particular good or service will be provided in an area.

​*low order goods needs small number of people (1000 pax) while high-order goods might required more people (50,000 pax)

​Sphere of Influence

• ​The specific area seved by a settlement for a variety of functions such as education, healthcare, shopping and recreation.

  • ​Hamlets and villages have low spheres of influence, while cities have large sphere of influence.

​Population Density

• ​It is expected that large settlements have more people

• ​Some small settlements, however, contain many people:

  • ​tourist-related functions

• ​Some large settlements like dormitory (commuter) settlements may offer few functions and services

Open Ended

What do you observe in the illustration?

Reorder

Study the photos (a), (b), and (c). Arrange the three settlements in terms of their likely hierarchy. Justify your choice.

• Townhall, Woods

• Butchers, Long Hanborough

• Newsagents, Cassington

1

2

3

• 1
• 2
• 3