Settlement Patterns and Urban Land Use:

Population Distribution Population Distribution- Pattern of where people live in a region, or country. Two main types- 1.Dispersed- In agricultural areas, people spread out because they need land for farming. 2.Concentrated- In cities, where resources are focused in a small area.

Population Density- a mathematical calculation of the number of people who live in each square kilometer of land. 90% of Canadians live within 600km of the US border.

Rural Settlement Patterns: Involves an area outside of cities and towns, where population density is low and the settlement patterns is spread out. Most of Canada’s rural residents live in two ecozones: Mixedwood Plain and Prarie

Three Main Patterns: 1.Long lots of Southern Quebec: Settled before development of railways and high quality roads. Settled in relation to agricultural resources, and waterways for transportation. Long thin farms built along the St. Lawrence River so they had access to water Known as Long Lots

Long Lots

2. Concession Systems of Southern Ontario: Occurred, later, after surveys of the land. Farmers had access to road and railways so nearness to water was less important. Resembles a grid of equally sized squares of land, divided by roads. These squares are known as concession blocks.

3. Section System of Southern Prairies: Surveyed, or planned out, before major settlement. Beginning at the US border, the land was divided into equal blocks, and then further into sections called lots. Lots were too small, and many people shared land- Farm Consolidation

Scattered Settlements: Two more types: Resource Based- close to resources (agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, etc) Service Based- close to major roads.

Urban Settlement: In % of the population lived in rural areas Today- 80% or more live in cities, or urban areas. This process is called Urbanization. Occurred because of changes in the economy- people became less concerned about farming due to the increase in technology. More produced but less workers needed. People became to employed in cities.

Urban Growth: The growth of cities happens because these once smaller towns, become important because of a resource/service they provide for their country, and other countries. These resources/services include: 1.Manufacturing, ex. Oakville-Car plants/factories 2.Transportation, ex. Niagara- Canal system 3.Resource Use, ex. Alberta- Tar sands 4.Service Centre, ex. Toronto- Shopping, Theatre, etc