Nucleated settlement patterns are buildings grouped together. This can mean houses grouped at crossroads, at cul de sacs or in villages.
Nucleated
97
27
28 29 30 31 32 N 96 96
97
Looking at the OS map segment of
Rathnew, Co. Wicklow, use six-figure grid referencing to identify an example of:
95 95
z„ z„ z„
94 27 28 29 30 31 3294 Urban Settlement
Urban settlement refers to settlement in towns and cities. There are a number of factors that influence the location of urban settlement.
Flat or gently-sloping land Flat or gently-sloping land is favourable for the construction of buildings and roads.
Where transport routes (road, rail, other) meet
Bridging points on rivers
Villages, town and cities can develop at the point where transport routes meet. These are called nodal points or route focus points. These types of places may encourage the development of trade.
Where rivers and roads meet there has to exist a bridge. In the past, bridges were very expensive to construct so roads would converge where one existed. This made areas surrounding bridges attractive locations to begin settlement.
Coastal locations
Ports developed at settlement points along the coast to allow trading. This can provide jobs and encourage further settlement.
