Urban Settlements

Let’s begin with the basics. What exactly is an urban settlement?

Urban settlements are places where people live in relatively dense and permanent concentrations, and where the dominant activities are non-agricultural — such as industry, commerce, administration, and services.

But now, let’s trace the story from the beginning.

🔹 The Rise of the Urban World

• Around the year 1810, the city of London became the first urban settlement in the world to reach a population of one million. This was not just a number; it marked a turning point in human civilization — the beginning of large-scale urbanization.
• By 1982, approximately 175 cities across the globe had joined this “Million-Plus Club.”
• Today, more than 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. In stark contrast, back in 1800, only 3% of the global population lived in such settlements. This shows a demographic transformation — a shift from rural to urban living — driven by industrialization, transport, and service sector growth.

So now, let’s ask: how do different countries define an urban settlement?

Classification of Urban Settlements

Urban settlements are not defined uniformly across the world. Different countries use different criteria to classify a settlement as ‘urban’. These can broadly be divided into three heads:

A. Population Size

Here, the logic is simple: a settlement is considered urban if its population exceeds a certain minimum threshold. However, this threshold varies from country to country.

Let’s look at a few examples:

• Colombia: 1,500
• Argentina and Portugal: 2,000
• USA and Thailand: 2,500
• India: 5,000
• Japan: 30,000

Now, let’s focus on India — a little more detailed:

In India, simply having a population above 5,000 is not enough. Two additional conditions must be met:

• A population density of at least 400 persons per square kilometre.
• At least 75% of the male working population should be engaged in non-agricultural pursuits.

In contrast, some Nordic countries use much lower population cut-offs:

• Denmark, Sweden, Finland: only 250 persons
• Iceland: 300 persons
• Canada and Venezuela: 1,000 persons

As you can see, the ‘urban-ness’ of a place is somewhat relative — it depends on national standards.

B. Occupational Structure

Now, let’s go beyond numbers. Population size is not the only factor. The type of economic activity matters too.

• In countries like India, a settlement is classified as urban not just based on size, but also based on occupational structure — whether the people are mostly engaged in agriculture or non-agricultural activities.
• So, a village with 10,000 people where 90% work in farming will not be called ‘urban’. But a town with 6,000 people and a majority working in services or industry might be urban.

Thus, the economic character of a settlement plays a defining role.

C. Administrative Setup

This is a functional criterion. Some countries declare a place ‘urban’ if it is governed by a specific type of administrative body.

• In India, any settlement — regardless of its size — is considered urban if it has a municipality, a Cantonment Board, or a Notified Area Council.
• Similarly, in countries like Brazil and Bolivia, any place that acts as an administrative centre — say, a district headquarters — is automatically called urban, even if its population is small.

This reflects a legal-institutional approach to defining urban settlements.

Types of Urban Towns Based on Dominant Functions

Cities often specialize in certain functions. Based on these dominant roles, urban towns can be classified as:

1. Administrative Towns

These towns house government offices and act as seats of political and bureaucratic power.

• Examples: National capitals such as New Delhi (India), Canberra (Australia), Beijing (China), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Washington D.C. (USA), and London (UK).
• Even state or provincial capitals like Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Albany (New York), or Victoria (British Columbia) are included under this category.

2. Trading and Commercial Towns

These cities thrive on commerce — trade in goods and services, finance, and transport.

• Agricultural market towns like Winnipeg (Canada) and Kansas City (USA) serve as hubs for grain and livestock trading.
• Banking and financial centres like Frankfurt (Germany) and Amsterdam (Netherlands) operate as international financial nodes.
• Transport-centric cities such as Lahore (Pakistan), Baghdad (Iraq), and Agra (India) are strategically located at crossroads of major trade routes.

3. Cultural Towns

These towns are shaped by religious, historical, or spiritual importance.

• Pilgrimage towns like Jerusalem, Mecca, Jagannath Puri, and Varanasi have spiritual magnetism.
• Some of these towns may also serve educational, artistic, or heritage-based roles.

Other Functional Categories

Urban centres are often multi-functional, but some specialize further:

• Health and Recreation: Miami (USA), Panaji (India)
• Industrial Towns: Pittsburgh (USA), Jamshedpur (India)
• Mining and Quarrying Centres: Broken Hill (Australia), Dhanbad (India)
• Transport Hubs: Singapore, Mughal Sarai (India)

So, what we read upto now:

Urban settlements are not just big clusters of population — they are defined by how people live, work, and govern themselves. The classification depends on:

• Numbers (population size)
• Nature of work (occupational structure)
• Political status (administrative setup)
• And also, the dominant function or role the city plays — administrative, commercial, cultural, or industrial.