Factors For Site, Growth & Function of Settlements
Factors influencing site and situation
- The site is the physical land that the settlement is built on
- The situation can be thought of as the position of the settlement in relation to other features e.g., forest, lake etc.
- There are various factors to consider before building on a site or choosing a situation
- Availability of water for transport, drinking, irrigation, washing etc, however, not suitable to build next to the river in case of flooding
- Cultivation on a flood plain is desirable due to fertile soils from alluvium deposits
- Building on level ground, but harder to defend or get materials to
- Accessibility can be a problem particularly if the relief is too steep, as transport and commerce can be affected, especially if near to points of navigation or bridges or weirs
- Proximity to other places needs to be considered, especially for work or to get supplies
- A wet point site is when there is a reliable supply of water from a well or spring
- A dry point site is when the site is elevated above natural poorly drained land
- A spring-line settlement develops as it follows the path of available springs or wells, particularly at the foot of chalk and limestone hills
Growth of settlements
- Factors that affect the growth include:
- Climate - too extreme and settlements remain small
- Raw materials - multiplier effect, more investment means more opportunities, which attracts people to the area, therefore, there is growth within the settlement
- Fertile land allows for excess to be sold and non-farming services can be supported, allowing for the natural growth of a settlement
- Location - central to other places, access for trade etc
- Historical - seat of government, universities etc.
Function of settlements
- The function of settlements changes over time
- Many settlements first start with only one function, then develop others as the settlement grows or is forced to change, for instance:
- Liverpool, in the UK, began as a major port of trade, but this function went into decline during the 1970s with the advent of containerisation and the Mersey was too shallow to allow large ships into dock
- Tourism has become the major function of Liverpool's economy, maximising on The Beatles and the Merseybeat era
- In 2008, Liverpool became the European Capital of Culture, beating other British cities such as Newcastle and Birmingham
- The city's waterfront was designated a World Heritage Site in 2004, but was revoked in 2021 as its redevelopment didn't maintain the site’s original authenticity - in other words, it lost what made it a maritime feature
- Other functions include:
- Political
- Dormitory
- Agricultural
- Tourism
- Mining
- Port
- Market town
- Fishing
- Residential
- Industrial
Worked example
Suggest reasons for the growth of nucleated settlements.
[4]
- The command word here is 'suggest', therefore, you need to come up with valid, justifiable reasons
- The focus of the question must be on nucleation and not growth
- Possible answers include any four from ideas such as:
- roads from all directions meet/nodal point/crossroads [1]
- flat land [1]
- no restrictions to development in any direction [1]
- presence of a water source/spring/well/lake [1]
- mine/natural resource/quarry [1]
- bridging point [1]
- defensive site etc. [1]