Forms of Settlement
Pattern or form refers to regular order in which a series of things occur. Settlement pattern has been defined as the relationship between one house to others and it broadly depends on the spatial arrangement of paths, networks, water bodies, slope, defense, market, etc.
There are various patterns or forms of villages particularly compact settlements depending on the physical and socio-cultural character of the site.
Linear Pattern:
When houses are arranged along a road, river, or railway line linear settlement emerges.
Examples:
N.H.-15 in Western Rajasthan
N. Gangetic plain along the side of various rivers
Konkan and Malabar coast of western India.
Rectangular/ Square/ Checkerboard/ chess board Pattern:
The square pattern forms the modest beginning of the rectangular pattern, due course of time it fails to keep up its shape and changes into a rectangle.
Over 50 percent of the world population lives in rectangular patterns of villages. Rectangular settlements mainly develop in productive alluvial plains and wide intermontane valleys and are generally planned. In such settlements lanes and footpaths are almost straight and intersect one another at right angles.
Examples:
Villages of Sutlej-Ganga plain (especially those developed on crossroads);
Well-planned settlements of Germany (Rhine valley), Russia, N & S Korea, France, etc.
Circular/Oval and Semi-circular pattern:
Such settlements mainly develop around a temple, mosque, tank or social institution, to maintain closer proximity with them.
One can find in the West coast of Europe (due to its zig-zag shape)
Semi-circular patterns of rural settlements are generally found on the levees of ox-bow lakes and in the vicinity of crater lakes. The fisherman and salt producers build their settlements along the sea coast and salt lakes respectively, showing such a pattern.
Radial or Star-like pattern:
Radial patterns of settlement develop where various roads and streets or footpaths coming from different directions converge at a site (landlord's house, temple, mosque) and the rows of houses spread along the roads and streets in different directions. Such villages are mostly planned.
Examples:
Champaran district of Bihar
Punjab province of Pakistan
Star-like pattern is a refined form of radial pattern. When the spaces between two roads or streets adjacent to the central built-up area are fulfilled by dwellings, the village looks like a star-shaped building. In this pattern, houses spread out along the sides of roads in all directions.
Examples:
Villages of France, Germany, and the U.K.
Yangtze valley in China, and
Indo-Gangetic plain (particularly Punjab, Haryana, and UP in India)
Guru-Shikhar Region in southern Rajasthan
Triangular Pattern:
The triangular patterns of rural settlement usually develop at the confluence of two rivers - where the lateral expansion is restricted by the rivers on three sides. Can be found in the Indo-Gangetic plain of India.
Other Patterns:
Fan pattern: associated with the presence of temples and ghats along the river, lake, or sea coast where several footpaths or roads converge.
Arrow pattern: develop at the end of a cape or at the bend of a meandering river or lake, where houses spread outward along the main road.
L-shaped: develops where two roads intersect each other at right angles. Due course of time it may improve into a rectangular or square-shaped valley.
T-shaped: develops when a village road meets another road at the right angle but does not cross it. In due course of time, this pattern sometimes improves into a triangular pattern.
Amorphous pattern: when no definite pattern or shape can be identified for a settlement.
Conclusion:
The pattern of settlement in a region reflects man's relationship with the environment as well as the religious and social customs of his society.