Settlement

Settlement

1. The functions of settlements

   • Residential
     • Give people a place to live. Dormitory/ commuter settlements are settlements that have few services and little industry
   • Market centres
     • These settlements provide services for the local area. They are often found in fertile farming areas and past farmers would bring their produce to be sold. Many towns in Uk still have weekly market.
       • Good transport and shipping links
   • Administration
     • Main function of settlement is administrative.
     • Country towns that employ a large number of people as civil servants and are centers of local government.
     • Newbury, Berkshire
   • Strategic
     • Settlements that use physical geography to protect them from attack
       • Top of hill for deference purposes
         • Windsor, next to river thames
       • The meander bends
         • Warkworth, Northumberlands
       • Beside a gap in a range of hills
         • Dorking, surrey
       • On an island in a river
         • Ile de la Cite
   • Industrial
     • In past the function of these areas was to provide jobs in secondary sector
     • Located on coalfields and had good access to railways/canals as forms of transport
   • Tourist Resorts
     • Development started at the arrival of railways
   • Changing over time
     • Aberfan, South Wales
       • Agricultural village approximately 5 miles from Merthyr Tydfil
       • During industrial revolution, coal was found in the valley and the Merthyr Vale coal min was opened in 1875
         • Changed the main function of the village and the village became industrial
         • When the mine closed down in 1989, the settlement turned residential

2. Counter-urbanisation

   • Cites to rural
   • Reasons of movements
     • Cities are becoming less pleasant. Increase in crime, traffic and pollution
     • Increase in car ownership which allows people to live away from their work place.
     • Due to technology improvements people can now work from home
     • There is an ageing population and people tend to move to rural area when retiring
   • Negative impacts
     • There will be conflict between the 'newcomers' and locals of the area
     • Many of the migrants still work in urban areas, so the journey towork can cause congestion and pollution
     • House price in rural areas may increase due to the increase in demand
     • The migrants dont suppoort the local economy as they shop where they work
     • The village traditions are lost, resulting in a lost of comunity spirt.
     • Many churches parish as the newcomers don't go to church
   • Positive impacts
     • Local schools have an increase of pupils
     • Some local services are supported such as local tradesmen
     • Old derelict farm buildings are turned into habitable dwellings which add aesthetic value