Types of Urban Settlements

1. Town

• To grasp the idea of a town, it is helpful to compare it with a village. While population size is a factor, it is not the sole determinant. The difference between villages and towns may not always be stark, but towns are typically characterized by distinct functions like manufacturing, trade (both retail and wholesale), and professional services.

2. City

• A city can be seen as a town that has surpassed others in its vicinity in terms of growth and influence. As Lewis Mumford aptly described, “the city is, in fact, the physical manifestation of the most advanced and intricate form of communal life.”
• Cities are much larger than towns and have a greater number of economic functions.
• They tend to have transport terminals, major financial institutions and regional administrative offices. When the population crosses the one million mark it is designated as a million city.

3. Conurbation

• The term conurbation was coined by Patrick Geddes in 1915 and applied to a large area of urban development that resulted from the merging of originally separate towns or cities.
• Greater London, Manchester, Chicago and Tokyo are examples.

4. Megalopolis

• This Greek word meaning ?great city, was popularized by Jean Gottman (1957) and signifies super- metropolitan region extending as union of conurbations.
• The urban landscape stretching from Boston in the north to south of Washington in U.S.A. is the best known example of a megalopolis

5. Million City

• The number of million cities in the world has been increasing as never before. London reached the million mark in 1800, followed by Paris in 1850, New York in 1860, and by 1950 there were around 80 such cities. The rate of increase in the number of million cities has been three-fold in every three decades – around 160 in 1975 to around 438 in 2005.

Problems of Human Settlements in Developing Countries

Economic Problems-

• The decreasing employment opportunities in the rural as well as smaller urban areas of the developing countries consistently push the population to the urban areas.
• The enormous migrant population generates a pool of un- skilled and semi-skilled labour force, which is already saturated in urban areas.

Socio-cultural Problems

• Cities in the developing countries suffer from several social ills. Insufficient financial resources fail to create adequate social infrastructure catering to the basic needs of the huge population.
• The available educational and health facilities remain beyond the reach of the urban poor.
• Health indices also, present a gloomy picture in cities of developing countries.
• Lack of employment and education tends to aggravate the crime rates. Male selective migration to the urban areas distorts the sex ratio in these cities.

Environmental Problems

• The large urban population in developing countries not only uses but also disposes off a huge quantity of water and all types of waste materials. 
• Many cities of the developing countries even find it extremely difficult to provide the minimum required quantity of potable water and water for domestic and industrial uses. 
• An improper sewerage system creates unhealthy conditions. Massive use of traditional fuel in the domestic as well as the industrial sector severely pollutes the air. 
• The domestic and industrial wastes are either let into the general sewerages or dumped without treatment at unspecified locations. Huge concrete structures erected to accommodate the population and economic play a very conducive role to create heat islands.

Urban Strategy

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has outlined these priorities as part of its Urban Strategy‘.

1. Increasing Shelter for the urban poor.
2. Provision of basic urban services such as Education‘, Primary Health care‘, Clean Water and Sanitation‘.
3. Improving women‘s access to Basic Services and government facilities.
4. Upgrading Energy use and alternative Transport systems.
5. Reducing Air Pollution‘

What is a Healthy City?

World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that, among other things, a healthy city‘ must have:

• A ‘Clean and Safe’ environment
• Meets the Basic Needs of All its inhabitants.
• Involves the Community in local government.
• Provides easily accessible Health service.