Urban Settlement Patterns
Urban Settlement
• Urbanization - the process by which an area
changes from being rural to being urban. It
includes a great increase in population density
and includes expansion of urban functions like
manufacturing and services
Urban Settlement
• Urbanization occurred because of changes
in the economy
-
agricultural machinery was developed
More jobs were created
Rural residents moved into the towns
Immigrants moved to cities
What Contributes to a City’s Growth?
The four main reasons that contributed to a
city’s growth are:
1. Manufacturing - manufacturing made sense
because there were raw materials (mainly
agricultural) that could be used. Markets were
also interested in buying the products of the
factories - some of these customers were local
and others were outside the area and received
it by rail
What Contributes to a City’s
Growth?
2. Transportation - railways were constructed
and allowed people to move to and from
the town. It also encouraged the growth of
manufacturing
What Contributes to a City’s
Growth?
3. Resource Use - clay and mineral deposits led directly
to the existence of a town or city.
4. The multiplier effect is a result (ie. a new brick factory
opens and employs 100 workers). These workers and
their families need housing, schools, stores, banks,
restaurants, medical facilities, and other services. In
order to supply these, perhaps 900 other workers and
their families would come to live in the rapidly
growing city. As a result 1200 people would be added
to the population because of the 100 jobs opening up
in the new factory.
In Response to Growth…
• Service Centre - there is a hierarchy of urban
services. A small town will offer a grocery store, a
post office, an elementary school. A larger town
will offer shopping, a hospital, and a high school.
Very large cities will offer television production,
large universities, specialized hospitals, and
entertainments (sports teams or opera
companies)
Urban Hierarchy
There has been significant movement of people in
Canada between urban and rural areas over time. In
most cases, people in rural areas live in a hamlet,
village, or town. People in urban areas live in a
suburb, city, or metropolis. These different types of
places to live are known as the urban hierarchy
(each one is a larger settlement going up the line
than the one before it).
Urban Hierarchy
hamlet
village
town
suburb
city
metropolis
Counter-Urbanization
Urbanization is the movement of people UP the urban hierarchy.
Counter-urbanization is the movement of people DOWN the
urban hierarchy (metropolis→ hamlet). While our cities are still
getting larger, some people are choosing to move away from
cities.
•In general, there are now three categories of people living in
rural areas.
– Newcomers - retain ties to urban core, younger, well
educated, well off, managers/professionals
– Homecomers - young families returning to provide rural
upbringing to children
– Ruralites – have never lived in an urban centre
Why are people leaving the cities to
live in smaller towns and villages?
– health issues, security,
“community”
– “back to nature” movement
(desire to live in the country)
– increase in telecommuting
(less need to be at an office)
– cheaper land and house
prices
Suburbia
• A suburb is a residential area on the outskirts of a city (or
some distance from the city core/CBD).
• Suburbs are usually less densely populated and proliferate
around a city.
• When rail and road transport became more efficient,
suburbs became popular.
• Post WWII economic expansion led to the explosion of
“Suburbia”.
Would you consider Suburbia to be a
rural community?
• Why or Why not?
• As you watch the Canadian
Film, Radiant City, take note
of the following:
- What is Suburbia?
- The +/- to living in Suburbia
- Suburban Statistics
• Using your notes, prepare a
*one-page response to the
film briefly discussing the
pros and cons of suburban
life and it’s sustainability.
*CGU4CI – ½ page