tɪks1955–60; coined by Constantine A. Doxiadus (1913–1975), Greek urbanologist, ultimately < Greek oikistikōs, derivative of oikisía settlement, derivative of oîkos house; see -ics
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
ekistics (ɪˈkɪstɪks) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| (functioning as singular) the science or study of human settlements | |
| [C20: from Greek oikistikos of or concerning settlements, from oikizein to settle (a colony), from oikos a house] | |
| e'kistic | |
| —adj | |
| e'kistical | |
| —adj | |
| ekis'tician | |
| —n | |
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
ekistics
science of human settlements. Ekistics involves the descriptive study of all kinds of human settlements and the formulation of general conclusions aimed at achieving harmony between the inhabitants of a settlement and their physical and sociocultural environments. Descriptive study involves the examination of the content, such as man alone or in societies, of a settlement, and the settlement container, or the physical settlement, composed of natural and human-made elements. The examination of settlement content and the physical settlement involves the investigation of five basic elements of human settlement: nature, including physical geography, soil resources, water resources, plant and animal life, and climate; human biological and emotional needs, sensations and perceptions, and moral values; society, including population characteristics, social stratification, cultural patterns, economic development, education, health and welfare, and law and administration; shells, or structures, in which people live and function, such as housing, schools, hospitals, shopping centres and markets, recreational facilities, civic and business centres, and industries; and networks, or systems, that facilitate life and day-to-day functions of inhabitants such as water and power systems, transportation networks, communication systems, and the settlement's physical layout.
Learn more about ekistics with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Cite This Source
