Unit 4 - Urban Settlements

Question 1

Urbanisation

Answer 1

Process where the ever-increasing percentage of total population lives in urban rather than rural settlements.

Question 2

Main reason for urbanisation?

Answer 2

The transition from an economy based on primary activities to a system where secondary and tertiary activities become more important.

Question 3

Urban growth

Answer 3

Increase in the number of people living in a city.

Question 4

Urban expansion

Answer 4

Refers to the physical or real growth of an urban settlement linked to increase in urban population numbers.

Question 5

Urban sprawl

Answer 5

The haphazard expansion of low-density residential developments.

Question 6

Rate of urbanisation

Answer 6

The amount by which the level of urbanisation takes place from year to year and is expressed as a percentage.

Question 7

Level of urbanisation

Answer 7

The percentage of the total population living in urban settlements at a given time.

Question 8

Which three factors affect location of urban settlements?

Answer 8

Physical, social and economic factors.

Question 9

How site and situation affect location of urban settlements?

Answer 9

Human / Social factors

• historical, defense (hill top sites)
• social, need for social interaction
• political, nucleated for safety in war
• cultural, communal living
• food supply, support growing populations
• building materials, for construction
• trade and transport routes, harbours and bridging points over river (for mobility and to promote trade)

Economic factors
-trade and transport, harbours and bridging points of rivers.

Physical factors

• climate
• aspect of slope (slopes facing sun are warmer)
• relief (steep slopes, difficult to build)
• water supply (availability)
• drainage (flooding avoided)
• soil/rock structure (underlying structure)
• resources (minerals encourage development)

Question 10

Types of urban settlements

Answer 10

Central places

Trade and transport cities

• break of bulk towns
• junction towns
• gateway/gap towns

Specialised cities

Question 11

Central places

Answer 11

Provide centralized services.

Develop because of surrounding rural populations need for certain foods and services found in urban areas.

Services include, economic, health, education and religious needs.

Eg. Karoo, Free state and Upington.

Question 12

Trade and transport cities

Answer 12

Originate where transport routes meet.

Often along transport routes such as navigable rivers, major roads, or where one form of transport meets another.
Eg. Sea to rail.

Question 13

Break-of-bulk towns

Answer 13

Develop at a point where type of transport changes

Eg. At a harbour where the transport changes from sea to road to rail.

Question 14

Junction towns

Answer 14

Originate where important transport nodes meet, such as road, river or railway junctions.

Eg. De Aar (rail junction)

Question 15

Gateway/gap towns

Answer 15

Originate at places where there are physical barriers, mountain passes or low-water river crossings.

Roads converge at a point to make use of the gap.

Eg. Worcester

Question 16

Specialised cities

Answer 16

One dominant function.

-Resources are strongly localized.
-Originate in clusters.
(along safe beaches,coal fields or gold fields)

Eg. Mining, recreation, military, industry.
Sasolburg (oil from coal).

Question 17

Origin and development of urban settlements

Answer 17

All settlements were originally rural.

Low productivity of agriculture, towns couldn’t prosper on income derived from farming, so they had to manufacture goods to trade.

Villages became established.

Villages then grew into towns and then cities.