Learning objectives

•What is the function of a settlement?

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What is the function of a settlement?
The function of a settlement relates to its economic and
social development and refers to its main activities.

mining town tourist resort residential

market town settlement administration

functions

cultural/religious commercial

port manufacturing route centre

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Functions

Every settlement has a residential function.

Most settlements are multi-functional (have more than
one function). In addition, most settlements have had a
change in function from their original one.

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Functions

How have Singapore’s functions changed since the

1950s to now?
Make a list of all the functions (main activities).

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Key ideas

Function
• relates to the economic and social development of a
settlement and refers to its main activities.

• Most settlements are multi-functional.

• In addition, most settlements have had a change in function

from their original one.

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What is a settlement hierarchy?

A settlement hierarchy is the arrangement of settlements in an

order of importance.

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Settlement types

We also have megacities ?????????

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Settlement types
We also have megacities
RANK CITY COUNTRY 2023
POPULATION

1 Tokyo Japan 37,194,104

2 Delhi India 32,941,308

3 Shanghai China 29,210,808

4 Dhaka Bangladesh 23,209,616

5 Sao Paulo Brazil 22,619,736

6 Mexico City Mexico 22,281,442

7 Cairo Egypt 22,183,200

8 Beijing China 21,766,214

9 Mumbai India 21,296,516

10 Osaka Japan 19,013,434

What is the population of Portugal or Greece?

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Settlement hierarchy
Conurbation: An extended urban area, this may
consist of several towns merging with the
population suburbs of a central city.

1,000,001 + conurbation
population
100,001 – 1,000,000 city and size of
2,001 – 100,000 settlement
town
increases
101 – 2,000 village
11 – 100 hamlet
1 – 10 isolated dwelling

Why is the hierarchy drawn as a triangle with a wide base and

a narrow point?

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 20,000 people in New Zealand
constitutes a city! A village in
China.

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Settlement hierarchy
population
1,000,001 + conurbation
population
100,001 – 1,000,000 city and size of
2,001 – 100,000 settlement
town
increases
101 – 2,000 village
11 – 100 hamlet
1 – 10 isolated dwelling

How many cities are there from your country of origin, be

prepared to name these and report back to the class. What
constitutes a city where you come from?
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What shops/services do you find in a …?

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A primate city is the largest city in its country or region, disproportionately
larger than any others in the urban hierarchy (often twice the size of the next
largest city).

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Spanish Urban Hierarchy

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More shops and services in larger settlements
The number of shops and services in a settlement depends upon the
threshold population, which is the minimum number of people
required by a shop/service to make a profit. Shops and services are
classified according to their threshold population:
classification frequency maximum example and
distance
of use customer estimate of
prepared to threshold
travel population
convenience very often short general store –200
(low order) people.
comparison fairly often reasonable – even bank – 15 000
the next town
(middle order) people

specialist not often can be quite department store –

(high order) far 350 000 people

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Type of good?

Do lots of shops sell this?

Range?

Threshold population?

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Type of good?

Do lots of shops sell this?

Range?

Threshold population?

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Settlement size and services: their relation
Plot a scattergraph using the following data to work out the
relationship between settlement size and services:

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Sphere of influence
Sphere of influence is the area served by a particular settlement.
Range is the maximum distance that a customer is prepared to
travel.
Competition
from nearby
settlements
Functions of
Functions
nearby Size of of the
settlements sphere of settlement
influence

Population size of
the settlement and Transport facilities
its surrounding area (including parking)

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Sphere of influence of shops and services

Explain why the sphere of influence of the corner shop is

much smaller than the department store.

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Sphere of influence of shops and services
N
Which grocer has the
largest sphere of
influence?
Describe the shape of the
sphere of influence of
‘grocer 3’.

0 2km Why don’t people travel

to ‘grocer 3’ from the
east?
1
grocer 2 Give some possible
3
settlement reasons why ‘grocer 1’
has the smallest sphere of
bridge
influence.
river
sphere of influence
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