SETTLEMENT PATTERNS/ URBAN GEOGRAPHY

SUBJECT OVERVIEW Defining Urbanism SETTLEMENTS ORIGINS OF SETTLEMENTS TYPES OF SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN SETTLEMENTS CITY HISTORY URBAN PATTERNS

What is Urbanism? Depends on time and culture: The size of the stationary population is part of the picture… but it varies according to the historical context and location The size of a city varies geographically; Portugal=10,000, Ethiopia=2,000, Norway=200 Therefore, urbanism usually is qualified by a population considered large for its time and place

What makes a City a City? Population alone does not make a city; a stadium may hold many people, but is it a city? There must also be government of some kind. There must also be definable boundaries; even if they change over time. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) used to calculate a city’s boundaries: a city center and its immediately interacting counties

What makes a City a City… The economy is another layer in classifying it as rural or urban… economic diversity A cultural layer also plays a role in defining a place’s degree of urbanity or “cityness”… cultural diversity So, a clear definition of urban or city more of a process of comparison than a sentence or two… it depends!

Hearths of Urbanization Where did cities and urbanism, or urban life begin? The earliest cities were born around 3500 BCE spawned from agricultural villages: Mesopotamia Indus River region Nile Valley Huang He River valle Mexico Peru

Settlement Settlement - a permanent collection of buildings and inhabitants

GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE OF SETTLEMENTS Geographers are interested in the patterns of settlements and the interrelationship of settlements How do the patterns of settlements explain human culture?

ORIGINS OF SETTLEMENTS Religious - graves, churches, temples Cultural - schools, libraries Political/Military - leader’s house, walls Economic - stores, food

TYPES OF SETTLEMENTS Rural Settlements - agriculture as the predominant occupation. Urban settlements - principal industries are secondary and tertiary.

RURAL SETTLEMENTS Clustered rural settlements -grouped settlements in rural areas to minimize travel

RURAL SETTLEMENTS Dispersed rural Settlements - isolated farms with enclosed continuous fields

RURAL SETTLEMENTS IN THE EASTERN U.S. New England - clustered villages of the colonists Mid Atlantic - dispersed isolated farms of the Dutch, Swedes, Irish and Germans South - plantations (mansions surrounded by plantation services)

DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN SETTLEMENTS Prior to modern times most settlements were rural First Urban Settlement UR (modern day of Iraq) Other Early Cities Mycenae,Troy, & Isle of Crete in Greece Settlements along the world’s great rivers

DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN SETTLEMENTS Athens - first city over 100,000 by the 5th century BC over 300,000 Rome - center of an empire 200 BC-400 AD “all roads lead to Rome” Paris, London, Vienna - all old Roman sites Mid-Evil Europe - after the fall of Rome urbanization decreased patterns of castles, walls & narrow streets compact space surrounded by walls

DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN SETTLEMENTS Renaissance-Baroque Cities Renaissance 15-16th centuries Baroque 16-18th centuries development of wide avenues & monuments Paris & London rebuilt, Washington D.C. Industrial City 19th century to present city designed around industry and transportation most modern cities

DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN SETTLEMENTS Megalopolis - conurbation of a number of cities blended together without separation “The Blob” Lewis Mumford SMSA- Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area 40% of the world’s population lives in urban areas

URBAN SMSA’s First city with 1 million - London in 1810 Over 1 million - 180+ cities Over 10 million - LA, Buenos Aires, London, Bombay, Jakarta, Mexico City, New York City, Osaka, Paris, Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Seoul Over 30 million - Tokyo

DEFINITION OF THE CITY Physical Definition of the City - Non- rural settlement that is, built up, economically functional, has a local government, and a legal boundary. Environmental Definition of the City urban dust domes (defined by pollution) heat island (defined by increased temperatures)

GROWTH OF THE CITY Skyscrapers - using vertical space intensive use of land shops at street level professional offices at higher levels Outward Expansion advent of the automobile & transportation routes decline of public transport

OUTWARD EXPANSION (con’t) Squatter Settlements - illegally erected shacks, cardboard structures and tents, due to rapid growth in cities of developing countries De-urbanization of the City suburbanism - legally independent cities cluster cities rural areas- preferable to urban lifestyle telecommuting - economic activity from a distance

Sao Paulo squatter settlement

DISTRIBUTION OF CITIES Physical Restraints Manufacturing - North & East Retail Cities serving farmers - Mid West Resorts & Retirement - Southwest Economic Functions site & situation factors International Trade - Port Cities Entertainment Centers - Las Vegas

DISTRIBUTION OF CITIES International Distribution Developed countries have a higher population living in urban areas Two thirds live in urban areas Developing countries have the greatest increases in the number of large urban settlements One quarter live in urban areas Most of the largest cities are in the developing regions

URBAN PATTERNS

URBAN PATTERNS City Center Central Business District best known area, most visually distinctive San Francisco, London original site of settlement Central Business District retail & office space assessable often a focal point with skyscrapers specialized stores for the office workers

URBAN PATTERNS Zones in Transition Suburbs mixed use with light industry transition from business to residential older neighborhoods (slums) home to ethnic groups not culturally integrated ghettos vs. ethnic neighborhood Suburbs residential nodes of retail services

CENTRAL PLACE THEORY Threshold - number of people to support Range - distance people will travel for service

SUBJECT REVIEW SETTLEMENTS ORIGINS OF SETTLEMENTS TYPES OF SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN SETTLEMENTS CITY HISTORY URBAN PATTERNS