Settlement and service Hierarchy

​What are settlement hierarchy's and how do they affect people?

- settlement hierachy
- Lower and higher order services
- Spheres of influence

​Lesson Objectives

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• Cornurbation

• Hamlet

• High and low order services

• Service threshold

• Spheres of influence

A built up settlement such as a town or city

​Urban settlement

A residential area away from the city, in the countryside

​Rural settlement

​A hierarchy is when settlements are ordered and classified based on three principles:

• Population size 

• Number of services provided

• Number of settlements

​Settlement Hierachy

​Move up the hierarchy, and fewer settlements are found 

• However, the population, number and types of services provided does increase 

• The hierarchy follows a path: 

  • isolated home ⇒ Hamlets ⇒ Villages ⇒ Market towns ⇒ Large towns ⇒ Cities ⇒ Conurbations ⇒ Megacities

​Settlement Hierachy

Services which need a small population to support them They are usually in large numbers and are found in most settlements. They will be used frequently.

Examples: Milk & bread from Convenience stores

Lower order services (Cheap)

Services which need a large population to support them.
There are less of these and they are often only found in larger settlements . Examples are big department stores and universities.

​​Higher order services (Expensive)

​Types of Services

• All settlements offer certain functions and services - the basics of life such as bread, milk, eggs etc.

• The number of services provided by a settlement will be dictated by its size, both physical and population

• The minimum number of people necessary before a particular good or service will be provided in the area is called the threshold population

• A small village or hamlet with a small population will only provide low-order services such as a grocery store, a school and possibly a doctor 

• Towns will provide low and high-order services such as a church/mosque, medical centre, garages, schools and restaurants 

• Cities and conurbations will focus on high-order services such as leisure centres, schools, Mosques, chain stores and hospitals

​Exam Questions