Classification of Urban settlements according to function

Click here on urban settlements

Notes Urban areas are classified according to their function (

the main reason why they are there)

There are three types of urban areas:

1. Specialized towns

2. Trade and Transport towns

3. Central place towns

3 Types of Urban Settlements1. Specialised towns

2. Trade and transport towns

3. Central place towns

Click on types of urban settlements

Specialised Towns Religious

Educational

Administrative

Military

Entertainment

Industrial

Mining

Moria

Potch/Grahamstown

Pretoria/Canberra

Simons town

Las Vegas/Plett Bay

Vereeniging/VDbijl

Welkom

Specialised towns

SPECIALIZED CITIES

Has one dominant function like education, mining etc

S

SSUNI

CC

Iron ore mine

University

S School

C College

Holliday towns

Settlements

UNI

Trade and Transport Towns Port town

Junction town

Gap town

Bridge town

Durban

De Aar

Chicago

Cambridge / HeronBridge

Break of Bulk settlements: where one mode of transport is changed for another e.g. at Durban goods are moved from ship to train or trucks.

TRADE & TRANSPORT TOWNS

SEA

Settlement

Roads

Navigable river

Railway

Mountains

Junction

Intersection of railways

Gap townDeurgang

Between mountains

Break of bulk

Break of bulk

From one type of transport to another

Central Place Towns A settlement that

provides goods and services to the area surrounding it

Harrismith

CENTRAL PLACE TOWNS

Definition: Small towns supplying urban goods

and services to the surrounding rural areas

Low order goods High order goods

Need often e.g. bread

and milk or doctor

Do not need often to

buy TV or furniture

Smaller threshold

population

Larger threshold

population

Several shops and

services

Fewer shops

CENTRAL PLACE TOWN

Provides services to surrounding rural area

H

B

SW

W

W – ShopH – HotelB – BankS – School

- RuralSettlements

Preparatory exam GDE 2013

Supplementary exam March 2015

DBE February/March 2011