Osadnictwo jako przedmiot badań geograficznych

Settlement as a subject of geographic research

Summary: The term settlement is interpreted in various ways. In the literal meaning it is associated with various buildings erected by man on the Earth. In a larger aspect, the term is a system of two elements: a particular local community inhabiting the settlements, and the buildings and other permanent fittings forming a material result of the community's activities. Since the beginning of geography, settlement has been an important branch of research. There are four phases of development in the geographic studies on settlement. In the first period, the researchers were interested mainly in the distribution and the size of settlements. In the second phase, they created the foundations for the modern geography of settlement (F. Ratzel, K. Hassert, P. Geddes, W. Christaller, O. Schlüter and others). The third phase was characterized by an increasing role of theoretical element, while the fourth was linked to the new research foci. Geography of settlement may be placed in the middle of the scale of geographic sciences: between the specialized, thematic geographic disciplines (such as geomorphology, geography of industry, etc.), and geography of regional development.

Kortus B. (red.), 2001, Człowiek i Przestrzeń, IGiGP UJ, Kraków, ss. 228, s. 101-111.

Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UJ

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