What type of settlement involves houses and buildings grouped around a central point?

Nucleated settlement refers to a type of settlement pattern where houses and buildings are clustered around a central point, such as a village center, marketplace, or religious building. This layout typically promotes community interaction and access to shared services, as residents live in proximity to each other and essential facilities. The concentration of structures around a focal point often facilitates social cohesion and helps organize the agricultural and economic activities of the area.

In contrast, dispersed settlement involves homes that are spread out over a large area with considerable distance between them, often seen in rural areas where agricultural land is prioritized. Linear settlement, on the other hand, features buildings arranged in a line, typically along a road or river, which does not centralize community interactions as effectively as a nucleated settlement. Urban sprawl is characterized by the expansion of urban areas into rural land, resulting in low-density and fragmented development, which further differentiates it from the compact and cohesive nature of nucleated settlements.