Unit 3: CGC1D
URBAN SETTLEMENT
PATTERNS
Definition: Urban Areas
more than 1000 people living together in
a city or town
 nearly 80% of Canadians live in urban
areas

Definition: City

group of more than 10 000 people
can be considered a city in Canada
Definition: Metropolitan Area

a large city (>100 000 people) and the
attached urban areas not directly part of
the city
How do cities start?

as transportation “stop” areas.
◦ Example: Montreal is at the junction of the St. Lawrence and
Ottawa Rivers

as a central place for providing markets and services for the
surrounding area
◦ Example: Regina, SK

as a special function city built around a specific industry
◦ Example: Sudbury is a mining city

Some cities grow so large they incorporate all of the above
and become multipurpose cities.
◦ Example: Toronto
Where do cities form?
On transport routes (water is most
important)
 Reasonably flat land
 Close to some form of industry (mining,
forestry)

How do we divide land in cities?
There are 6 major land uses in cities.
1. Residential – single unit, row housing, apartments
2. Commercial – stores, malls, offices, banks, restaurants, cinemas
3. Industrial – factories, warehouses, manufacturing
4.Transportation – roads, parking lots
5. Recreational – parks, bikepaths, beaches, museums
6. Institutional – schools, churches, courts, police and fire stations,
government