KS2 Geography: Settlements and Land Use Guide

Why settlements form

Early settlements were often built near a reliable water supply, fertile land for farming, and natural resources. Good transport links, such as rivers or trade routes, also encouraged settlements to grow.

Types of settlement

Settlements range in size from a hamlet (a few houses) to a village, town and city. As a settlement grows, it usually gains more services, like shops, schools and hospitals.

Land use

Land in and around a settlement is used for different purposes: residential (housing), commercial (shops and offices), industrial (factories) and recreational (parks). A land use map shows how an area is divided between these.

Common mistakes

• Assuming settlement size only depends on population, ignoring the range of services available.
• Mixing up land use categories, such as calling a factory "residential".
• Forgetting that a settlement's original reason for being there (e.g. a river crossing) may not still apply today.