Evolution of Human Settlements in Time

By:
Helen Nzainga
Dr Silas Muketha & Naomi Karanja

FEBRUARY 2024
Origin of human settlements
A human settlement is a community or group of people
living together in a particular place to realize certain
goals and objectives.
Historically, human settlements (rural or urban) could
only exist if certain conditions existed or were fulfilled.
These conditions include:
1. Security:
If a place was secure, then communities could settle. A
place where it was possible to shelter from attacks by
other communities, wild beasts, pests, and/or parasites,
and harsh climatic conditions was considered ideal for
settlement.
In Africa, some sites were considered not culturally
suitable for settlement and hence were avoided even
when they met the other conditions.

• Ask the class to give specific examples from their

counties.
 Origin of settlements contd
2. Production of Surplus Food:
If a community could produce a reservoir of food to
last till the next season, then settlements would be
possible e.g. River basins such as the Nile, and the
Euphrates and Tigris valleys – are greatly known for
their early civilizations- Egypt and Babylon.
Ask the class to name other famous river basins.

3. Specialization of Activities & Division of Labour.

If a community could practice division of labour such
that some members were free from the routine of
producing food, then, some members could be utilized
in the production of other goods and services. Where
such was possible, settlements evolved, grew or
flourished.
 Origin of settlements contd
4. Exchange of Goods and Services through Trade –
Communities tended to flourish where there was organized
exchange of goods and services.

5. Availability of basic buildings materials:

Such as timber, wood, water, stone/mud, straw from the
wetlands. All these things influenced settlement of
communities as these materials are necessary in the
construction of shelter and other functional
buildings/structures.
• In this 21st century, which of these conditions are still
relevant ? Ask the class to do a brainstorm in groups of
three or fours and then share in plenary.
 Functions of Human Settlements
Human settlements mainly offer three functions:
1. Residential Accommodation:
Especially for those people who derive their livelihood
from non-farm activities. It is assumed that those in
rural areas / agricultural areas have their own
accommodation in their homesteads.
Care must, however, be taken to ensure that even
those in agricultural farms have better shelter.
Functions of Human Settlements contd
2. Economic Function:
Human settlements usually offer markets, goods and services,
employment and income generating opportunities and also
enable people to access manufactured goods.
•Shopping/commercial parks/malls/ markets,
•Industry/ industrial parks,
•Farming / agriculture,
•Entertainment joints,
•Tourism facilities,
•Communication networks, etc.
NB:
•The more efficiently the above conditions and functions were met, the
higher the level of civilization of the human settlements / communities. If
the conditions ceased, the settlements or settled communities also ceased.
 Functions of Human Settlements contd
3. Service Function:
Human settlements also offer the following services /
facilities:
Educational
Health
Administrative (County and Gational government)
Social-Cultural / Religious
Judicial-courts, prisons and Remand homes,
rehabilitation centres etc.
Sporting/ recreational
Human Settlement Forms and Patterns
 INITIAL
DEVELOPMENT OF
SETTLEMENTS
 Star-Like Pattern

 Houses are constructed in a star

shape
 Settlements are usually found in
points where several roads cross
each other forming a shape
resembling a star

Source: Google Image

Linear Hamlets

Some of the hamlets have a linear form.

That is, buildings are clustered along
features such as roads or streams as
shown in this figure.
Grouped Hamlets

Sometimes hamlets as groups of buildings

cluster at the intersection of several roads.
String Village

Like hamlets, some villages are grouped along rivers,

roads, streams, or other linear features. These places
are called string villages.
Cluster Village
.

Some villages group around road intersections and

these are called cluster villages
Rounded Village

Defense is one of the reason houses in a village

are clustered together. Other settlement forms
may also leave the best land available for
farming. By occupying hilltops or rocky areas,
for instance better farmland is available for
farming
Skeleton Grid
Walled Village

Historically, houses in villages were clustered together

for security or defensive reasons. People could defend
themselves against outsiders by grouping themselves
together. In fact many old villages and walled villages
are often clustered together in this way. Many old
cities around the world began behind strong defensive
Rural Dispersal/ Scattered settlements

On the other hand, a rural

community may take the
scattered or dispersed
pattern of settlement, e.g. in
the arid and semi-arid areas
of Kenya
Basic forms and patterns of Human Settlements
Human settlements forms and
patterns

Source: Munivenkatesh Paramasivam

Linear Settlements
Linear Settlements
A mixture of Nucleated and Linear Settlements
Nucleated slum settlements
Rectangular
Pattern
 Houses remain rectangular
 Their main axis remains
from north to south and west
to east
 Objective is to maximize on
sunlight and fresh air.
 Also, there is rectangular
hollow pattern
 Characteristics is unbuilt
open space in the middle of
the villages/houses
 Others have a place of
worship at the Centre or
educational facilities
(Mandal, 1989)

Source: Google Image

Circular and Semi-
circular Pattern

• This form consists of a

central open space
surrounded by structures
• Has several variations
caused by an attempt to
build a maximum number
of houses at one site
(Mandal, 1989).

Source: Google Image

 Triangular Pattern

 Occurs on these sites where

growth of settlement is
restricted from only three
sides.
 Topographical barriers in
the rural setup may assume
the shape of a tringle or a
hollow triangle.
 Roads in some areas
assume this pattern
inhibiting expansion
 This pattern is a common at
river confluences.
Source: Google Image
Linear Patterns

Source: Google Image

 Radial Pattern

 Number of streets or paths

converge at its centre
 The housing development
sticks to these roads and
appears to be radiating from
the nodal point (Mandal, 1989)

Source: Google Image

https://www.google.com/search?- date retrieved 28th May 2018
Modern Commercial Mall
Modern Commercial Mall
Highly pedestrianized commercial streets
Examples of Industrial Parks
Tanzania’s improved transport system & BRT
Kasarani Sports Complex, Nairobi
Class to discuss the
merits and demerits
of each form of
settlement
Challenges facing Human Settlements
• Rural/Urban poverty
• Rural –urban migration
- leaves underutilized land and other resources
- depletion active labour force
- Low rates of development
• Lack or poor infrastructure
• High levels of unemployment
• Lack of skilled labour force/ personnel
• Poor living standards especially within the urban slums
• Lack of proper planning and development control
• Ribbon developments especially along major roads.
• Weak leadership and governance/ development control
structures.
Hierarchy of Human Settlements
It is usually difficult to determine the
difference between rural and urban settlements
but using the rural-urban continuum, one can
see how these settlements have evolved from
basically rural agrarian economies to non-
agrarian economies or communities
Settlements are arranged in a hierarchy. A
hierarchy is similar to a pyramid or a
continuum. A continuum of human settlements
can be used, for instance, to show the
progression of centres or each activity say
shopping, education and leisure as illustrated
below:
Rural – Urban Settlement Pyramid

Metropolis

No. & type of

Population
settlements
Density Cities

Towns

Villages/
Hamlets
Increase in the
number and
type of
settlements
Rural-Urban Human Settlement Continuum

Hamlets Villages Towns Cities Metropolies

Hamlet (Hut) Village

-Scattered Town
City
-Dispersed
Metropolis
Subsistence
communities (Concentration of non-
agrarian communities
A Continuum of Low - Higher Order Goods/Services
Higher Order Centres
High Order Centres (Specialized Goods /
Low Order Centres Services e.g. highest
(Long Term Goods /
(Short-term goods / Services e.g. furniture, level hospitals, hotels,
services e.g. milk, shoes, clothes, etc.) education institutions
bread, salt, sugar, and entertainment
etc.) facilities, studios,
theatres, etc.)

Kiosks/Village Shops Towns Cities / Capital Centres

•Nursery Schools, •Secondary Schools, •Universities/Colleges
Primary Schools
•2-3 stars Hotels •5 Star Hotels
•Local hotels
•District Hospitals •National Hospitals/ High
•Dispensaries level hospitals
• The lower order centres, have local activities
/ lower order goods and services, which are
not specialized. Such services are available
also at the other higher levels. While the
higher order centres, have more specialized
activities; with the highest order centres,
offering the most specialized activities;
which are not found at the other levels.

• Ask the class to give examples of such

centres and the goods / services that they
offer.