Year 7 lesson introducing the key concepts of function and layout. www.thegeographeronline.net

1. Settlement
LAYOUT
AND
FUNCTION

2. What do cities contain?
Make a list of at least 5 different
land uses you might find in a city.

3. Settlement
layout
Dispersed settlements have no
central point. Buildings are
scattered.
Linear settlements clustered along
rivers, creeks and streams, and later
along migration routes, railroads and
highways.
Nuclear settlements occurred along
crossroads, at river mouths, adjacent
to bays, and near centres of industry.

4. What is the function of a settlement?
The function of a settlement relates to its economic
and social development and its main activities.
• Every settlement has a function.
• However, most settlements are multi-functional (have more than one
function) e.g. London, so different parts of the same settlement often have
different functions.
• In addition, most settlements have had a change in function over time. For
example, Rhondda in South Wales was a coal mining village but now has a
tourist function (mining museum).

5. Tourist Resorts: usually coastal resorts, e.g. Bournemouth, Blackpool, Brighton
Ports: gateway for import/export trade and fishing, e.g. Plymouth, Portsmouth
Manufacturing/ Industrial: steelworks, factories or shipbuilding, e.g. Sheffield,
Blackburn
Mining Towns: based around a coal mine, e.g. Shincliffe (Durham), Merthyr Tydfil
Market Town: based around trade, e.g. Guildford
Route Centres: central in communications networks, e.g. Swindon
Service Centres: centres for local/regional services, e.g. Reading
Cultural & Religious: historical attraction e.g. York, Stratford-upon-Avon
Residential: designed to accommodate a commuting or resettled population, e.g.
Milton Keynes
Administrative: tax or registration centres, e.g. Swindon
Academic: usually oldest university centres, e.g. Cambridge, Oxford
Market Town: based around trade, e.g. Guildford
Administrative: tax or registration centres, e.g. Swindon

6. “De scribe the distributio n o f diffe re nt functio nalland use s in Lo ndo n” (4)
Remember: Patterns and Places (if possible)

7. Beijing: A Multi-functional settlement
Function Place example(s)
Retail/Commercial
Residential
Port
Market
Manufacturing
Tourism
Entertainment
Administrative/Government
Transport
Finance
Sport

8. Textbook – page 65 q2