A settlement hierarchy is a way of arranging settlements into a hierarchy based upon their population or some other criteria. The term is used by landscape historians and in the National Curriculum for England. The term is also used in the planning system for the UK and for some other countries such as Ireland, India and Swaziland. The term was used without comment by the geographer Brian Roberts in 1972.
The greater the population in a settlement, the larger geographic area, the higher the status and the greater the availability of services. Position in a settlement hierarchy can also depend on the sphere of influence. This is how far people will travel to use the services in the settlement, if people travel further the town becomes more important and ranks higher in settlement hierarchy.
Read more about Settlement Hierarchy: Example of A Settlement Hierarchy, Problems With Concept of A Settlement Hierarchy, Hierarchy and Status, Settlement Hierarchy in The UK Planning System, See Also
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