URBAN SETTLEMENT
Urban Settlement is a phenomenon that developed later than the rural settlement in human civilization. It is difficult to give a clear definition of an urban settlement as different from a rural one. Normally a settlement is called urban on the basis of its size, density of population and structure of occupation. Sometimes we take into consideration some physical criteria of a settlement which reflect certain underlying economic and sociological qualities to call a settlement a town. For example, if a settlement has well-built high rise buildings placed compactly side by side, has necessary civic amenities and a high density of population and if its inhabitants are mostly non-agricultural by occupation, then it may be called urban. Thus the settlement in which most of the people are engaged in secondary, tertiary and quaternary activities are known as urban places, size, density and occupations are the criteria frequently used in census and other definitions of urban places. In India the Census Authority conceived a scheme to standardize and define urban area. Three qualifying tests were laid down: a concentration population of more than 5000, a population density of not less than 400/sq.kms, and absorbtion of 75 per cent of the adult male population in non-agricultural occupations.
FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF TOWNS
Urban geographers have suggested various ways in which towns may be classified. Towns may be classified on the basis of age, size and geographical location and have referred also to the use of simple cultural designations e.g. Asiatic, African, European, Colonial, Pre-industrial and industrial. However the most meaningful basis of classification is that of function and therefore the activities of the towns are of greatest importance. It should, however, be noted that all large cities are more or less multifunctional in nature. As a matter of fact almost all sorts of activities are carried on in a town but a certain activity comes to the fore-front engaging a considerably large proportion of the population and thus the town or towns concerned are functionally classed as belonging to that activity. It should be noted that a certain town may originally spring up with certain activity but later on another activity may became the most important.
Manufacturing or Industrial Towns
These are those cities that owe their existence and development to a certain industry or industries e.g. Jamshedpur.
They can be divided into two sub-types - (a) cities overwhelmingly manufacturing, (b) manufacturing cities with other important but secondary functions. In the latter group of cities retail and wholesale trade, transportation and other activities exist largely for the service of people employed directly in manufacturing. It should also be noted that some of these cities started originally as trading centers but later on manufacturing has over-shadowed other activities.
Transportation Cities
These are those cities that owe their existence mainly to the transportation activities. Most of the railway junctions in India like Gorakhpur, Mogulsarai and important parts like Aden, Singapore, Colombo and also important airports like Karachi, Santa Cruz, Dum Dum etc. belong to this group of cities. Places of railways, sea or air route terminus, transhipment, crossing of two railways, sites of railway locomotives and aeroplane workshops etc. give rise to these types of cities.
Mining Towns
Mining centers are overshadowed generally by almost overwhelming industrial and commercial activities and hence mining as an important factor of urbanization is likely to be inadequately represented. Even in our India Raniganj which was originally a coal mining center has given rise to a group of manufacturing towns around it like Asansol, Durgapur, Burnpur etc. and thus its own importance as an urban center is overshadowed. Thus it is clear that mining must of necessity be carried on at the source of raw materials and does not therefore originally give rise to large urban centers. Even then the original impetus given by the mining should not be underestimated.
Education Towns
Educational towns are those towns which owe their existence to some educational institutions like universities, Public Schools etc. Oxford, Cambridge in U.K, Santiniketan, Aligarh, Jalukbari etc. in India are the best example of this group of towns. In the U.S.A as many as seventeen towns have grown up centering the universities. It should be noted that the educational towns are not generally large in size and the humming atmosphere of the other urban centers is generally lacking here.
Resort and Retiring Towns
These are those towns which owe their existence to moderating climate, scenic beauty, hot water springs etc. In higher latitudes where winters are severe, warm sunny sea coast afford sites for such towns, while in low latitudes where again summer warmth is severe, the hilly cool places are chosen as resort centers. It should be noted that these towns in the high latitudes become busy, overcrowded and humming mainly during the summer and in the low latitudes during the winter because of heavy influx of ease loving rich population from surrounding areas. In India Shillong, Darjeeling, Nainital, Moussourie etc. are summer retirement towns or health resorts. In Europe especially in the Mediterranean coast there are numerous towns which are used as winter resorts by the well-to-do persons of different countries, not only of Europe but from all over the world. The warm sunny climate coupled with Mediterranean moderation make these places quite inviting for those who live in the bitterly cold countries. There are numerous other towns associated with lakes and mineral springs which afford suitable place for convalescence.
Political and Administrative Towns
Political and Administrative towns owe their existence to the administrative and political function of the government under whose territory the town lies. It should also be noted that although initial impetus to the growth of a town in given by such functions yet commercial functions and also transportation functions later overshadowed them. That is why we often find that in many of the state capitals in India, administrative functions are subordinate to other activities. In order to cater the immediate demand even subsidiary or consumer goods, industries grow up in around such state capitals and district headquarters.
Related to political capitals as centers of Government functions there are cantonments, naval and air bases which ultimately give rise to towns. Border check posts at the frontier of two countries because of customs formalities and transhipment also lead to the development of towns like Kurseong and Leh etc.
Commercial Cities
The commercial cities are the most common type of cities and they owe their existence to trade and commerce. These commercial cities can be subdivided into two groups as follows:-
(a) Retail Centers – Retail centers are smaller cities outside the manufacturing belt or along its border region. These include larger percentage of smaller towns and lesser percentage of metropolitan cities. Durgapur, Berar, Kolhapur etc. belong to this group of towns.
(b) Wholesale Centers – the wholesale centers can again be subdivided into two groups. There are small cities engaged in assembling and large cities engaged in distribution. Most of the wholesaling centers are associated with assembling, packing, canning, marketing of various products. Sholapur, Guwahati etc. are such kind of assembling centers. Cities of the second type are usually the largest cities in a wide region like the port cities of Mumbai, Kolkatta etc. and distributing centers are lake cities of U.S.A, Geneva, Liverpool etc. Generally whole-sale and retail-scale cities are closely related and often grouped together. The two principal wholesale and distributing centers of the U.S.A are New York and Chicago, but wholesaling is one of the many important activities associated with this great diversified metropolitan centers. Then again some port cities like New Orleans, Portland, Maine etc. which have been classified as transportation centers could as well be considered as wholesale centers.
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