Gcse Geography - Settlements

Front 1

What are settlement site factors?

Back 1

Settlements are all different shapes, sizes and types and they all have different site factors, which are often no longer necessary but they provide reasons as to why they were built where they were built.
The different site factors of settlements:
Dry point site:- away from the risk of flooding.
Wet point site:- good supply of water.
Defensive site:- on higher ground, better visibility.
Aspect site:- sunny side of a deep valley.
Shelter site:- protected from cold prevailing winds.
Gap towns:- in-between two areas of higher ground.
Resources:- important for industry.
Bridging point:- grew around a fording/bridging points.
Trading centers:- grew around natural routes or where rivers met, which then developed.

Front 2

Settlement keywords (part one)
1) Situation
2) Sphere of influence
3) Settlement Hierarchy

Back 2

1) A settlements position in relation to the surrounding human and physical features.
2) The larger a places sphere of influence the further people are willing to travel to get their. (e.g. London has a global sphere of influence).
3) As you go up the settlement hierarchy they settlements become larger in size but fewer in number. A settlement hierarchy is in the shape of a pyramid.

Front 3

What are the functions of a settlement?

Back 3

When a settlement first started to grow it had one original function, others will have developed as it grew, and the original function will be less important.
1) Port
2) Market Town
3) Resort
4) Natural Resources

Front 4

Urban models in MEDCs

Back 4

The two urban models are the Burgees model which is split into concentric circles with the CBD in the centre and the Hoyt model which uses Burgees' theory of concentric circles but with added sectors. There is no such thing as a typical settlement which makes it impossible to apply the models to all.

Front 5

Urban models in LEDCs

Back 5

The land use model in an LEDC also uses a mix of the concentric circles and sectors, but they have some different categories compared to the MEDC models.
Favela:- recently built informal housing.
Periferia:- older informal housing.
The other sectors are the CBD, industry and high cost housing.

Front 6

Settlement keywords (part two)
1) Rural-urban fringe
2) Shanty towns
3) Urbanisation
4) Counter-urbanisation
5) Redevelopment
6) Urban Sprawl

Back 6

1) They are found at the edge of a town or city, they are where the town meets the countryside, they have a mixture of land uses from airports to business parks.
2) Shanty towns are the areas of informal housing in an LEDC.
3) An increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas compared to rural areas.
4) Relocating to the countryside/rural-urban fringe.
5) The restoration or development of an area again.
6) The uncontrolled spread of urban development into neighboring regions.

Front 7

Human geography keyword:

SUSTAINABLE

Back 7

The word sustainable is used through out the human geography topics, it means minimising the damage to the environment whilst avoiding using up natural resources so that future generations can do the same, and it also takes economic issues it account (e.g. changes also have to be cost effective, not just benefit the environment).