1. Settlement System
A settlement system refers to the organized pattern of distribution, size, functions, and relationships among human settlements (villages, towns, cities, metropolises) within a region or country.
Settlements are arranged in a hierarchical order:
Hamlets → Villages → Small Towns → Medium Towns → Cities → Metropolises → Megacities → Megalopolis
The system reflects:
Spatial linkages (rural–urban interaction)
Functional linkages (administrative, economic, cultural)
Dependency relationships (villages depending on towns, towns on cities, etc.)
2. Census Classification of Settlements (India)
(a) Rural Settlements
All places that do not qualify as urban under Census criteria.
Usually depend on agriculture and allied activities.
(b) Urban Settlements
As per Census of India:
Statutory Towns: Places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board, or notified area committee.
Census Towns: Places meeting all 3 conditions:
Minimum population of 5,000
At least 75% of male workers in non-agricultural pursuits
Population density of 400 persons/sq. km or more
(c) Categories of Urban Settlements by Population Size (Census 2011):
Class I: 100,000 and above
Class II: 50,000 – 99,999
Class III: 20,000 – 49,999
Class IV: 10,000 – 19,999
Class V: 5,000 – 9,999
Class VI: less than 5,000
3. Primate City
A primate city is the largest city in a country or region, which is disproportionately larger than the second-largest city and dominates political, economic, and cultural life.
Term popularized by Mark Jefferson (1939).
Characteristics:
Much larger than next-ranking cities
Concentrates national functions (administration, trade, education, culture)
Often the capital city
Examples:
India: Delhi (political primacy), Mumbai (economic primacy)
France: Paris dominates over all other French cities
4. Rank–Size Rule
Proposed by G.K. Zipf (1949).
States that:
“The population of a city is inversely proportional to its rank in the hierarchy.”
The 2nd largest city will have ½ the population of the largest,
The 3rd largest city will have ⅓, and so on.
Indicates a balanced urban system (as opposed to primate city dominance).
In India, the rank-size distribution is distorted by primacy of Delhi and Mumbai.
5. Urbanization
Definition: The process by which a growing proportion of a country’s population comes to live in towns and cities.
Measured by the percentage of urban population in total population.
Urbanization in India (Census data):
1951 → 17.3%
2001 → 27.8%
2011 → 31.2%
Projected 2036 → ~40%
Drivers in India:
Industrialization
Migration (push–pull factors)
Economic opportunities in services/IT
Government policies (Smart Cities, AMRUT)
6. Industrialization
Industrialization refers to the shift from agrarian to industrial economy, concentrating industries in certain towns and cities.
Impact on urbanization:
Creation of industrial towns: Jamshedpur, Rourkela, Bhilai, Durgapur.
Growth of employment and in-migration → urban expansion.
Emergence of slums due to mismatch between population growth and infrastructure.
Industrialization has been the key driver of urban growth globally and in India (especially post-independence).
7. Urban Development
Urban development is a broader concept than urbanization. It refers not only to the growth of towns and cities but also to the improvement of infrastructure, services, quality of life, and sustainability.
In India:
Planned cities: Chandigarh, Gandhinagar, Bhubaneswar.
Urban missions:
JNNURM (2005) → modernization of infrastructure
Smart Cities Mission (2015) → sustainable, tech-enabled development
PMAY → housing for all
AMRUT → water supply, sanitation, green spaces
Focus today is on sustainable urban development balancing economy, society, and environment.
8. Summary Diagram (Conceptual)
Settlement System Hierarchy:
Hamlet → Village → Small Town → Medium Town → City → Metropolis → Megacity → Megalopolis
Primate City: One dominates the system.
Rank-Size Rule: Balanced distribution of city sizes.
Urbanization: % of population in cities.
Industrialization: Economic driver of urban growth.
Urban Development: Planned, sustainable improvement of cities.
✅ This set of concepts ties together the structure, classification, and dynamics of urban settlements in India and globally.
