• Urban settlements are differentiated from rural ones by economic, social, and population factors. Most urban settlements derive from a small village. The village, due to certain economic or strategic advantages, receives many newcomers and soon becomes both the social and administrative center for surrounding areas. Urban settlement characteristics, therefore, derive from the changes a village goes through once it begins to acquire economic importance.
  
  

Diversity

• Much of urban settlement has an economic basis. As a result, the first and primary characteristic of urban settlement is the development of a diversity of occupation. Over time, the settlement becomes an industrial, financial, or manufacturing center of a certain district or area, which implies that urban settlement has a close connection with the desire to find work.
  
  

Administration

• The economic content of urban settlement is usually complemented by a very different form of state. Rationalized, more or less centralized, and class-based government becomes the norm in urban centers, normally following the pattern of industry or trade. Economic regulation then becomes paramount.
  
  

Civic Activism

• Somewhat more foggy is the existence of a municipal civic culture that serves to encourage civic participation and some form of democratic government. The European experience in the Renaissance strongly bears out this view--the existence of a strong civic culture is characteristic of urban settlement.
  
  

Social Tension

• As a village becomes an urban area, those who live in the village setting often have substantial social tension with newcomers. As a result, a significant characteristic of urban settlement is the influx of newcomers, all seeking some form of economic security, and the hostility of those already living there. There may be a connection between this constant feature of integration and the existence of a strong civic life.