Chapter 13. Settlement and Urban Geography

Rural settlement patterns include clustered villages, dispersed farmsteads and linear settlements along roads or rivers [2].

Urbanization. More than half of the world’s people have lived in cities since about 2007, and the share continues to rise, fastest in Asia and Africa [25].

Urban concepts

Primate city: a city much larger than any other in the country.

Megacity: commonly defined as a city of more than 10 million people.

Central place theory: Christaller proposed that settlements form a hierarchy, with larger centres offering more specialized services to wider areas [26].

Urban models: classic models describe concentric zones, sectors and multiple nuclei. Cities in the developing world often feature informal settlements and rapid peripheral growth.

Urban challenges include housing, transport, pollution, waste, service delivery and vulnerability to hazards [25].

Review: Explain why a city’s growth may outpace its ability to provide housing and services.