A settlement hierarchy shows how settlements are ranked based on their size and the goods/services they provide. High order settlements like cities provide goods/services bought infrequently that are expensive, so people will travel further. Low order settlements like villages provide frequently bought, cheap goods/services so travel is shorter. A settlement's sphere of influence is the area it serves. Assigning settlements to A, B, or C ranks them by size/services from smallest to largest.

1. SETTLEMENTHIERARCHIES

2. Imagine that you live in Nava del Rey. Where
do you need to travel if you need to:
• buy some bread?
• buy some furniture?
• buy a Hi-tech TV?
• go to the doctor?
• see your favourite band?
• go to school?
• go to High School?
• go to to university?
• watch an important football match?

3. Whatisasettlement hierarchy?
A settlement hierarchy shows how settlements in any area can
be put in order based on their size or the services that they
provide.

4. settlement hierarchy
High order settlements
Medium order settlements
Low order settlements

5. settlement hierarchy
High order settlements
Settlements, usually towns and cities,
which provide goods and services
that are bought infrequently and
that are expensive so people are
willing to travel a long way to buy or
use them.

6. settlement hierarchy
• If you live in Nava del Rey, where would
you go to buy:
• a sofa?
• a mobile phone?
• clothes?
• a ticket for the theater?
• How many kilometers would you be
prepared to travel to get these
products?
High order settlements: cities and
big towns
Settlements, usually towns and cities,
which provide goods and services
that are bought infrequently and
that are expensive so people are
willing to travel a long way to buy or
use them.
High order goods or services
They are goods or services which are
not needed so often (furniture,
clothing…) and people are usually
prepared to travel further to buy
them.

7. settlement hierarchy
Low order settlements
Settlements, usually villages and
hamlets, that provide goods and
services that are bought frequently
and are cheap so people are only
willing to travel a short distance to
buy or use them.

8. settlement hierarchy
• If you live in Nava del Rey, where would
you go to buy:
• some bread?
• a newspaper?
• some petrol?
• withdraw some money from the bank?
• How many kilometers would you be
prepared to travel to get these
products?
Low order settlements: villages
and hamlets
Settlements, usually villages and
hamlets, that provide goods and
services that are bought frequently
and are cheap so people are only
willing to travel a short distance to
buy or use them.
Low order goods or services
They are goods or services which are
used often (small general store
which sells convenience goods…)..

9. SETTLEMENTHIERARCHY
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
It is the area served by a settlement with goods and
services.
Think of your province and give a
name of a settlement you know to A,
B and C according to its size and the
services it provides.
Justify your answer.

10. • Which settlement provides low
order goods or services?
• What is the threshold
population needed?
• Which settlement provide high
order goods and services?
• What is the threshold
needed?
• Which range is a person living
in this village prepared to
travel to get high order goods
and services?

11. homework
Tasks 1, 2, 3 and 4 on page 43