Site and Situation

The location and growth of an settlement depended upon its site and situation. The site was the actual place where people decided to locate their settlement. The growth of that settlement then depended upon its situation in relation to accessibility and availability of natural resources.

Site Factors

• building materials (stone or wood)

• fertile land

• shelterered from winds

• fuel supply (wood)

• south-facing slope (aspect)

• flat land, easy to build on

• natural harbour

Situation Factors

• route centre

• gap town

• lowest bridging point on a river

• port

• minerals for export

Settlement Patterns

	Nucleated or clustered settlements often form at crossroads or route centres.
	Dispersed settlements have no obvious centre and are often hamlets spread over fertile farmland.
	Linear settlements: settlements grow along a road (e.g. in a narrow valley) or along the coast. Ribbon development is when housing grows out from a town along a main road.

Barcelona's Site and Situation

Physical and Economic Site Factors