Such settlements are variously referred to as a Rundling, Runddorf, Rundlingsdorf, Rundplatzdorf or Platzdorf (Germany), Circulades and Bastides (France), or Kraal (Africa). This form consists of a central open space surrounded by structures. License | CC BY SA 2.0 Circular Rural Settlements

In this way, a new linear settlement can emerge along each road, parallel to the original riverfront settlement ( Figure 12.2). Roads were constructed in parallel to the river for access to inland farms. The river can supply the people with a water source and the availability to travel and communicate. Excluding the mountainous zones, the agricultural land is extended behind the buildings. The linear form is comprised of buildings along a road, river, dike, or seacoast. License | CC BY SA 2.0 Linear Rural Settlements In some cases, the compact villages are designed to conserve land for farming, standing in sharp contrast to the often isolated farms of the American Great Plains or Australia ( Figure 12.1). The compact villages are located either in the plain areas with important water resources or in some hilly and mountainous depressions. Small garden plots are located in the first ring surrounding the houses, continued with large cultivated land areas, pastures, and woodlands in successive rings. This center is surrounded by houses and farmland. This model has a center where several public buildings are located such as the community hall, bank, commercial complex, school, and church. The rural settlement patterns range from compact to linear, to circular, and grid. The layout of this type of village reflects historical circumstances, the nature of the land, economic conditions, and local cultural characteristics. 12.2.1 Clustered Rural SettlementsĪ clustered rural settlement is a rural settlement where a number of families live in close proximity to each other, with fields surrounding the collection of houses and farm buildings. Using as classification criteria the shape, internal structure, and streets texture, settlements can be classified into two broad categories: clustered and dispersed. There are many types of rural settlements.

Range and township ap geo