Settlement patterns and urbanization

Week 6

 Class:  SS2       

Topic: Settlement patterns and urbanization

Specific Objectives: By the end of this lesson the students should be able to;    

1. Identify major settlement patterns
2. Explain each of the settlement patterns
3. Discuss the factors responsible for the development of each pattern

SETTLEMENT PATTERN

The term pattern or shape of settlement refers to the arrangement of buildings in a settlement. There are three main patterns of settlement. These are dispersed, nucleated and linear settlements. We also have isolated settlement.

1. Dispersed (Scattered) Settlement

Characteristics:

1. The buildings are far away from each other
2. It has few social amenities
3. It’s a feature of rural settlement
4. They are mainly involved in primary activities like fishing, farming and lumbering
5. There is quiet lifestyle as there is little opportunity for gathering
6. Distinct boundary separates one family from another

2. Linear settlement

Characteristics:                                   

1. The buildings are located along the routes e.g. roads, railways or river in a linear form
2. Where two or more routes, e.g. roads, railways meet, a sub-linear settlement called nodal settlement is formed      
3. When a settlement is formed as a result of the meeting of two rivers, such settlement is referred to as a confluence settlement e.g. Lokoja (Nigeria)
4. Farmlands are located behind gardens
5. It could be several kilometres in length

3. Nucleated/Clustered/Dense Settlement

Characteristics:

1. The buildings are very close to each other or they are concentrated in a small area
2.  It has many social amenities
3. It is a feature of urban settlement
4. People are mainly involved in secondary and tertiary activities like manufacturing and construction
5. There is an obvious centre called a nucleus
6. The area is well connected with roads
7. Farmlands are located outside the settlement
8. The level of interaction between the inhabitants is very high

4. Isolated Settlement

Characteristics:

1. It consists of a single house or few houses
2. The houses are very far from one another
3. Farmlands are very large
4. The level of interaction is very low
5. The area is poorly connected with roads

URBANIZATION

Urbanization refers to the growth of towns, especially in terms of human population and physical size. In other words, urbanization means a change in the functions of a settlement from a rural character to an urban character. Urbanization develops as a result of people coming into a town, coupled with proportionate increase in the physical size of the town.

Factors Responsible for Urbanization

1. Accessibility: People are likely to settle in areas that are easily accessible by roads, rails etc. and these tends to increase the growth of such settlement
2. Economic activities: People tend to settle in areas where economic activities such as trading, farming and mining activities take place so as to get jobs in such areas
3. Administration: People also settle in places which are seats of government as social amenities and other facilities are often provided in such areas.
4. Relief: The presence of low reliefs and lowlands favour settlement unlike rugged relief and highlands which repel settlement of people
5. Climate: Favourable climate also tends to attract people to an area which equally leads to the growth of a settlement
6. Absence of disaster: Absence of both natural and man-made disasters in a place tends to attract people to such areas, hence, the growth of such settlement.

Problems of Urbanization 

1. Increased demand for goods and services
2. Increase in social vices or crimes
3. Decrease in agricultural land
4. Increased demand for social amenities
5. Leads to increased environmental pollution
6. Causes traffic congestion
7. Leads to high cost of living.

Assignment:    

1. Classify settlement according to size
2. Explain any four ways by which rural and urban settlements depends from one another