Linear settlement
A linear settlement is a (normally small to medium-sized) settlement or group of buildings that is formed in a long line.[1] Many of such settlements have transport route, such as a road, river, or canal though some form due to physical restrictions, such as coastlines, mountains, hills or valleys. Linear settlements may have no obvious centre, such as a road junction.[2] Linear settlements have a long and narrow shape.
![](../I/Champlain(Quebec).JPG.webp)
![](../I/City_of_Victoria.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Victoria_City_and_Kowloon_1915.jpg.webp)
Linear settlements are seen along roads, railways, rivers, sea coasts and in foothill regions etc. These types of settlements are narrow in shape and they are spread along a straight line.
In the case of settlements built along a route, the route predated the settlement, and then the settlement grew up at some way station or feature, growing along the transport route. Often, it is only a single street with houses on either side of the road. Mileham, Norfolk, England is a good example of this. Later development may add side turnings and districts away from the original main street. Places such as Southport, England developed in this way.
A linear settlement is in contrast with ribbon development, which is the outward spread of an existing town along a main street and a nucleated settlement, which is a group of buildings clustered around a central point; these include, for example, Klaukkala in Nurmijärvi, Finland.[3]
Linear villages
A linear village[4] or a chain village[5] is a village that is also a linear settlement.
See also
References
- English heritage thesaurus Archived 2007-09-14 at the Wayback Machine, 23-05-2013
- Linear settlements, 23-05-2013
- Keski-Uudenmaan maakuntamuseon lausunto Nurmijärven Klaukkalan osayleiskaavaehdotuksesta (Statement of the Central Uusimaa Regional Museum on the partial master plan proposal for Klaukkala, Nurmijärvi) (in Finnish)
- geograph, SE0817 : Outlane - a linear village, 23-05-2013
- http://www.pg.geo.uj.edu.pl/documents/3189230/4676039/2003_112_161-172.pdf