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Module 00 - Housing and Settlements Overview PDF
Module 00 - Housing and Settlements Overview PDF
WHAT IS SETTLEMENT?
A settlement is a general term used in archaeology, geography, landscape history and other subjects for
a permanent or temporary community in which people live, without being specific as to size, population
or importance. A settlement can therefore range in size from a small number of dwellings grouped
together to the largest of cities with surrounding urbanized areas.
KINDS OF SETTLEMENTS ACCORDING TO SIZE:
• A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban
areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one
continuous urban and industrially developed area.
KINDS OF SETTLEMENTS ACCORDING TO SHAPE:
• A nucleated settlement is where the buildings are grouped together.
• A linear shape is where the settlement has developed along a line.
• A dispersed settlement is where the buildings are spread apart.
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KINDS OF SETTLEMENTS ACCORDING TO FUNCTION
1. Industrial Towns 3. Ports
▫ has railways and canals for transports ▫ Found where there are sheltered
▫ has housing and industry mixed harbours
together ▫ Flat land for building on nearby
▫ Newer industrial town planning ensures ▫ Modern ports need deeper water for
the housing and industry are apart. today’s larger ships
▫ Many ports has gone through a lot of
redevelopment
2. Market Towns
4. Seaside Resorts
▫ Found in fertile farming sites
▫ Close to industrial areas with large
▫ Many services e.g. shops and offices
populations, with good rail and roads
▫ Good transport links – often they are
▫ On the sea−front are hotels and
route centers
entertainments such as pubs and bingo
▫ Guest houses are found inland where
the land is cheaper to buy
▫ Housing found further inland, with
industry on the outskirts
▫ Promenades pedestrian roads along the
front of the resort
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RURAL SETTLEMENTS VS. URBAN SETTLEMENTS
Urban and rural settlements differ in demographics, land area and usage, population
density, transportation networks and economic dependencies. These characteristics are the defining
differences that geographers and city planners observe between rural and urban centres. (US Census
2000)
1. Demographics
Urban settlements contain a heterogeneous population consisting of different ages, cultures and
ethnicities, whereas rural areas contain a more homogenous population based on family, similar
ethnicities and fewer cultural influences.
2. Land Area and Usage
Urban settlements are more expansive and contain a wide range of land uses. For instance, major
metropolitan areas use density zoning to indicate different levels of development. In contrast, rural
settlements are more or less self‐contained and may not use zoning controls or have limited planning
and development regulations.
3. Population Density
The U.S. Census Bureau defines urban settlements as areas with more than 50,000 people and at least
1,000 people per square mile; including contiguous census tracts or blocks with at least 500 people per
square mile. In contrast, rural settlements contain less than 2,500 people, at a density between one and
999 people per square mile.
4. Transportation Network
Rural transportation networks consist of local and county roads with limited interconnectivity to rail and
bus lines. Urban settlements contain highway infrastructure as well as airports and light or heavy
commuter rail.
5. Economy
Urban areas are dependent on a global economy of import and export, whereas rural economies rely on
a local and agricultural‐based economy with dependencies on services, such as hospitals and
educational establishments in nearby urban centres.
URBAN SETTLEMENTS
Most governments define urban settlements based on one or a combination of criteria, including
population size, population density, and social and economic factors, such as the proportion of the labor
force engaged in non‐agricultural activities; the administrative or political status of a locality, such as
national, provincial, or district capitals, or census designations. (Hardoy et al., 2001)
RAPID URBANIZATION OF THE DEVELOPING WORLD
• The developing world as a whole has been predominantly rural but is rapidly becoming urban. In
1975, only 27% of the people in the developing world lived in urban areas. In 2000, the
proportion was 40% and projections suggest that by 2030, the developing world will be 56%
urban. Although the developed world is already far more urban, at an estimated 75% in 2000,
urban areas of developing countries are growing much faster and their populations are larger.
• Rapid urban growth reflects migration of people to cities as well as natural population increase
among urban residents. Rural areas have virtually stopped gaining population. Among the
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regions as a whole, only in sub‐Saharan Africa and Oceania will rural population grow at all in
the future.
MEGACITIES
• As the population increases, more people will live in large cities. Many people will live in the
growing number of cities with over 10 million inhabitants, known as megacities. As the map
"Largest Urban Agglomerations" shows, just three cities had populations of 10 million or more in
1975, one of them in a less developed country. Megacities numbered 16 in 2000. By 2025, 27
megacities will exist, 21 in less developed countries. (Population Reference Bureau)
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Growth of Urban Agglomerations, 1950–2025
(United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2007 Revision.)
THE URBAN POOR
• The World Bank estimates that, worldwide, 30% of poor people live in urban areas. By 2020 the
proportion is projected to reach 40%, and by 2035 half of the world’s poor people are projected
to live in urban areas. (Ravallion, 2001)
• Most of the urban poor live in slums and squatter settlements, without adequate access to clean
water, sanitation, and health care. While health and child survival rates are better in urban than
rural areas on average, they often are worse for the poor than for other urban residents.
• According to Population Reports (2002) published by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health, there are three problems commonly encountered by the Urban Poor. They are
the following:
1. Insufficient Incomes
2. Inadequate Housing and Services
3. Health Burdens
CURRENT AND FUTURE URBAN CHALLENGES
• Demographic, environmental, economic and socio‐spatial factors must be studied to fully
understand the development of 21st century cities and utilize these information for future urban
planning. It also needs to recognize the changing institutional structure of cities and the
emerging spatial configurations of large, multiple‐nuclei or polycentric, city‐regions. (Global
Report on Human Settlements 2009, UN Habitat)
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DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES
• A key problem is that most of the rapid urban growth is taking place in countries least able to
cope – in terms of the ability of governments to provide, or facilitate the provision of, urban
infrastructure; in terms of the ability of urban residents to pay for such services and in terms of
resilience to natural disasters. The outcome of this has been the rapid growth of urban slums
and squatter settlements.
• Close to 1 billion people or 32 % of the world’s current urban population, live in slums in
inequitable and life‐threatening conditions, and are directly affected by both environmental
disasters and social crises.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• It is predicted that with urbanization, climate change will negatively affect access to water and
that hundreds of millions of people will be vulnerable to coastal flooding and related natural
disasters as global warming increases. The poorest countries and people will be the most
vulnerable to this threat and who will suffer the earliest and the most.
• The dependence on oil of urban settlements is also a major environmental concern. Sprawling
and low‐density settlements prove to encourage the use of fossil fuel compared to high‐density
communities. Vehicle emissions contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and hence
global warming.
Disclaimer:
This Module claims no credit for any part unless otherwise noted. Content used for the module are copyright to its respective
owners. You may E-mail streetsofmanila2013survey@gmail.com for any issues, comments and suggestions.
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