Settlement Geography

Rural Settlements: Definition & Characteristics

  • Rural settlements: definition & characteristics

Types of Rural Settlements: Dispersed, Nucleated, Linear

  • Types of rural settlements: dispersed, nucleated, linear, circular; factors influencing type

Patterns of Rural Settlements: Morphological Analysis

  • Patterns of rural settlements: geometric, irregular, organic; morphological analysis

Distribution of Rural Settlements: World Patterns

  • Distribution of rural settlements: world patterns; density factors

Rural Problems: Rural-Urban Migration

  • Contemporary rural problems: rural-urban migration — causes & effects on village economy

Land Use Changes & Land Acquisition in Rural Areas

  • Land use changes in rural areas: agricultural to non-agricultural; legal & social issues
  • Land acquisition: processes, conflicts, rehabilitation & resettlement policies in India

Land Transactions: Tenancy & Absentee Landlordism

  • Land transactions: tenancy, sharecropping, absentee landlordism

Theories of Origin of Towns: Childe, Pirenne, Mumford

  • Theories of origin of towns: Gordon Childe — urban revolution thesis
  • Henri Pirenne — trade & merchant class in town formation
  • Lewis Mumford — cultural & technological factors in town origin

Urbanization in Developed Countries

  • Urbanization in developed countries: process, stages, suburbanization, counter-urbanization

Urbanization in Developing Countries: Over-Urbanization & Primacy

  • Urbanization in developing countries: over-urbanization, primacy, informal sector

Factors of Urban Growth & Urban Area Characteristics

  • Factors of urban growth: natural increase, rural-urban migration, reclassification
  • Urban area characteristics: size, density, functional complexity, heterogeneity

Structure & Functions of Urban Areas

  • Structure of urban areas: CBD, zone of transition, residential zones, suburban zones
  • Functions of urban areas: commercial, industrial, administrative, educational, cultural
  • Concept of Urban: demographic, economic & sociological definitions

Urban, Urbanization & Urbanism: Definitions & Scope

  • Urbanization: rate, level, world trends; urban transition
  • Urbanism as a way of life (Wirth): characteristics of urban life
  • Nature & scope of Urban Geography: themes, evolution, contemporary relevance

Census Classification of Towns in India

  • Census classification of towns in India: criteria (population, density, non-agricultural workers)

Functional Classification of Cities

  • Functional classification: commercial, industrial, transportation, educational, administrative towns

Smart City, Global City, Megacity, Edge City, Inclusive City

  • Smart city concept: features, India’s Smart Cities Mission
  • Global city: concept (Sassen), characteristics, world examples
  • Megacity: definition, list & management challenges
  • Edge city: concept (Garreau), characteristics, suburban growth
  • Inclusive city: concept, indicators, sustainable urbanization

Urban Hierarchy: Concept & Methods of Delimitation

  • Urban hierarchy: concept, methods of delimitation

Law of Primate City & Rank Size Rule

  • Law of Primate City: Jefferson’s concept; measurement; examples
  • Rank Size Rule: Zipf’s law; log-normal distribution; deviations

Central Place Theory: Christaller

  • Central Place Theory (Christaller): hexagonal lattice, K-value, marketing, transport & administrative principles
  • Central Place Theory (Losch): economic landscape; profit maximization approach; comparison with Christaller

Central Place Theory: Losch

No specific topics listed.

Internal Structure of City: CBD & Zones

  • Internal structure of city: CBD, frame, zone of assimilation, discard

Burgess Concentric Zone Model

  • Burgess Concentric Zone Model: zones, assumptions, criticisms

Hoyt Sector Model

  • Hoyt Sector Model: sectors, assumptions, criticisms

Harris & Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model

  • Harris & Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model: nuclei, assumptions, criticisms

Peri-Urban Areas & Rural-Urban Fringe

  • Changing urban forms: peri-urban areas — definition, characteristics, governance challenges
  • Rural-urban fringe: definition, characteristics, land use conflicts

Suburban Areas, Ring Towns & Satellite Towns

  • Suburban areas: growth, commuter belts, residential segregation
  • Ring towns & satellite towns: concept, planned vs. organic development
  • New towns & township planning in India

Social Segregation & Urban Social Area Analysis

  • Social segregation: residential segregation by race, class, caste, religion in cities
  • Urban social area analysis: Shevky-Bell model; factorial ecology

Slums: Definition, Types & Causes

  • Slums: definition, types, global distribution, causes of growth

Ghettoization & Gentrification

  • Ghettoization: concept, causes, racial & socioeconomic ghettos
  • Gentrification: process, causes, displacement of poor; examples

Informal Sector, Urban Poverty & Social Exclusion

  • Informal sector: definition, characteristics, size in developing cities
  • Urban poverty: manifestations — slums, homelessness, crime, social exclusion

Urban Governance & Planning

  • Urban governance: local self-government, municipal corporations, smart governance
  • Urban planning: master plans, zonal regulations, urban renewal

Practical: Primate City, Rank Size Rule, Urban Growth in Odisha

  • Practical: Primate City Law & Rank Size Rule calculation for India; urban growth trend graphs in Odisha; mapping major cities of Odisha using GIS

Supplementary Topics: Settlement Geography

No specific topics listed.