• Types:

Hamlets: Small, often isolated settlements with a few households, usually dependent on agriculture.

Villages: Larger than hamlets, typically comprising several houses with a well-defined layout, serving as the administrative and social center of a region.

Kasba or Small Towns: Larger settlements with more facilities and administrative functions, sometimes transitioning into urban areas.

• Patterns:

Dispersed Settlements: Houses are scattered over a large area, often found in regions with low population density and varied topography.

Nucleated Settlements: Houses are clustered around a central point such as a market or a place of worship, common in fertile plains and river valleys.

Linear Settlements: Settlements aligned along a road, river, or other linear feature, facilitating communication and trade.

Urban Settlements:

• Types:

Metropolises: Major cities with extensive infrastructure, economic diversity, and significant influence on the national and global stage (e.g., Mumbai, Delhi).

Cities: Urban areas with dense populations, significant infrastructure, and varied economic activities (e.g., Bangalore, Hyderabad).

Towns: Smaller urban centers with specific administrative, economic, and social functions, often serving surrounding rural areas (e.g., Jalandhar, Coimbatore).

• Patterns:

Concentric Zone Model: Features concentric rings around a central business district (CBD), with residential areas extending outward, common in older cities.

Sector Model: Urban development occurs in sectors or wedges radiating out from the city center, reflecting the influence of transport and land use.

Multiple Nuclei Model: Cities develop multiple centers or nuclei with distinct functions, such as commercial, industrial, and residential areas, reflecting modern urban growth patterns.