Settlement Patterns and Land Use
Settlements cluster, line up or spread out depending on resources.
About this topic
Settlements vary from isolated farms to megacities. Patterns can be nucleated (clustered around a centre), linear (along a road, river or coast), or dispersed (scattered). Sites are chosen for water, defence, fuel, flat land and routes, which explains why many old towns sit on river bends or hilltops. Hierarchy: hamlet, village, town, city, with more services and larger populations at each step up.
Within a city, land use is organised in patterns. The Burgess model proposes concentric zones from the CBD (central business district) outward; land use includes commercial, industrial, residential and green space. Land values are highest in the centre, where accessibility is greatest, so it holds tall offices and shops, while cheaper land on the edge holds large houses and gardens. Real cities are messier than the model, which was based on Chicago in the 1920s.
Urban sprawl converts rural land and encourages car use, causing congestion and loss of farmland, while compact development and green belts try to limit it. A useful tip is to compare a model with a real map and point out where they match and where they differ. Settlement geography helps planners decide where to place homes, shops, schools and transport.
Key ideas
- Nucleated, linear, dispersed
- Central place theory
- Zoning
Quick check
Use cases: where Settlement Patterns and Land Use helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Settlement Patterns and Land Use before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Settlement Patterns and Land Use without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Settlement Patterns and Land Use changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Settlement Patterns and Land Use in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Geography helps with city planning, climate, trade and migration.
Frequently asked questions
What is Settlement Patterns and Land Use?
Settlements cluster, line up or spread out depending on resources.
What will I learn in Settlement Patterns and Land Use?
Nucleated, linear, dispersed. Central place theory. Zoning.
Is Settlement Patterns and Land Use part of Geography?
Yes. It is one of 40 Geography topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Settlement Patterns and Land Use lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Settlement Patterns and Land Use?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.