Knowra Human settlement Human settlement A place where people live, from an isolated dwelling or village to a town or city. Settlements vary in size, permanence, layout, and relationship to surrounding land.
Dwelling : A structure or place used as a home by one or more people. The smallest common unit of a settlement is a place to live.
Site and situation : A settlement’s site is its immediate physical location; its situation is its position relative to other places and routes. The distinction explains why local terrain and regional connections both matter.
Human geography : The study of people, places, and the relationships between societies and their environments. Settlements are a central subject in the study of people and place.
Cultural landscape : A landscape shaped by interactions between human activity and the natural environment. Settlements leave visible patterns of building, land use, and infrastructure.
Street : A public route in a built-up area, often lined with buildings and used by people and vehicles. Streets connect homes and organize movement within settlements.
Central place theory : A model explaining the size, spacing, and service areas of settlements through their provision of goods and services. It models how settlements organize into service networks.
Rural settlement : A settlement in a sparsely populated area, commonly associated with agriculture or other land-based livelihoods. It is one broad form of human settlement, distinct from dense urban places.
Land-use change : A change in how land is used or managed over time. Settlement growth can convert farmland, forests, and other landscapes.
Infrastructure : The physical systems and facilities that support society, including transport, water, energy, and communications. Shared systems let settlements support residents beyond household needs.
Agglomeration : The clustering of people and economic activities in a location, often producing shared benefits and costs. Clustering can make larger settlements productive while intensifying competition for space.
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