Settlements are groups of houses, usually in villages or towns, where people live. The size of settlements depends on the availability of roads, railways, hospitals, police station, administrative buildings, etc. Settlements grow over a period of time. 

A settlement can be permanent or temporary. 

Temporary settlements : Settlements that are constructed and occupied for a short time are called temporary settlements. They are built by people engaged in hunting and gathering, shifting cultivation and transhumance. Tents and huts are the most common forms of shelter in temporary settlements. In urban area, it is built next to a construction site such as a bridge or a flyover. A temporary settlement can become permanent with time. 

Permanent Settlements : In this, people build permanent houses. With time, several such structure develop and form a settlement. The availability of water and land for cultivation are important reasons for such settlements growing. Other factors are communication lines such as roads and railways, police stations, post office, hospital, market, health center, etc.