Urban Settlement Theories

Definition

These are theories that attempt to explain the layout, growth, and development of urban areas. They consider factors such as economic activity, social structure, and geographical location.

Analogy

Think of these theories as recipes for building a city. Just like how different recipes result in different types of cakes (chocolate cake vs. cheesecake), different urban settlement theories result in different types of cities (industrial city vs. tourist city).

Related terms

Urban Morphology: This refers to the study of the physical form and structure of urban places - it's like studying the shape and design of a cake!

Gentrification: This is when wealthier people move into lower-income neighborhoods causing property values to rise - imagine if suddenly all cupcakes were replaced by expensive gourmet cakes!

Urban Sprawl: This term describes uncontrolled expansion or spread of urban areas into surrounding rural areas - think about how batter spreads out when you pour it into a baking pan!