The term settlement structure describes the structure of human settlements. This includes the spatial distribution of local residents, the type and density of buildings, the form of use, infrastructure as well as central institutions and facilities.
Settlement structures are phenomenologically discernible diverse forms of settlement which, reflecting local topography, usually run along historic transport and trading routes, and which have been restructured according to principles of urban planning.
[Source: Brunotte et al. (2002): Lexikon der Geographie, Dritter Band. Spektrum Heidelberg, Berlin, 226]