Urban Settlement Hierarchy and Megacity Impacts
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Hierarchy of Settlements
The hierarchy of settlements:
Hierarchy = order / importance.
Key concepts: Range, Threshold and Order
Settlements Hierarchy:
- Range: the maximum distance that people are prepared to travel for a good or service.
- Threshold: the minimum number of people required for a good or service to stay in business.
- Low-order goods: necessity or convenience goods bought frequently (e.g., bread, newspaper).
- High-order goods: luxury or shopping goods bought or used less frequently (e.g., watches, cars).
- Sphere of influence: the area served by a settlement (hinterland).
Settlement types
Hamlet
Hamlet: a small collection of farms and houses. Low-order functions are found in a hamlet.
Villages and market towns
Villages and market towns support similar functions and services and may include higher-order functions. Market towns draw custom from surrounding villages and hamlets as well as serving their own population.
Conurbation
Conurbation: two or more cities merged.
Millionaire city
Millionaire city: a city with over 1 million inhabitants.
Megacity
Megacity: a city with over 10 million inhabitants.
Growth factors and income categories
They grow as a result of economic growth, rural-to-urban migration and high rates of natural increase.
Gross National Income per capita: 1) High income. 2) Upper middle income. 3) Lower middle income. 4) Low income.
Gross National Income (GNI)
Gross National Income: measures all of the goods and services produced per year in a country. Measured in US dollars.
Goods and services
Goods: what every country produces (e.g., milk, cereals).
Services: e.g., tourism, financial services, education, hospitals, etc.
Pros and Cons of Living in a Megacity
Pros and cons of living in a MEGACITY:
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Job opportunities. | Traffic congestion. |
| Career developments. | Reduced quality of life. |
| High income and personal satisfaction. | Less personal time. |
| High-order services: access to most exclusive retail and transport facilities. | Reduced productivity at work: less income. |
| Educational opportunities: range of courses and options. | Poor air quality from vehicle fumes: lung disease and asthma. |
| Increased range of health care. | Noise and light pollution. |
| Hub airports provide connections to the region. | Cost of living is high, especially for housing. |