Nucleated village

A nucleated village, or clustered settlement, is one of the main types of settlement pattern. It is one of the terms used by geographers and landscape historians to classify settlements.^[1] It is most accurate with regard to planned settlements: its concept is one in which the houses, even most farmhouses within the entire associated area of land, such as a parish, cluster around a central church, which is perhaps close to the village green. Other possible focal points, depending on cultures and location, are a commercial square, circus, crescent, railway station, park or sports stadium.

A clustered settlement contrasts with these:

• dispersed settlement
• linear settlement
• polyfocal settlement: two (or more) adjacent nucleated villages that have expanded and merged to form a cohesive overall community

A sub-category of clustered settlement is a planned village or community, deliberately established by landowners or the stated and enforced planning policy of local authorities and central governments.