Isidlavela

Isidlavela (noma idolobha) siyindawo yokuhlala yabantu enobungako obuphawulekayo. Izidlavela imvama zinohlelo oluwudwadwa lwezindlu, ezokuthutha, ukuthuthwa kwendle, izinsiza, ukusebenza komhlaba, ukukhiqizwa kwezingudla, nezokuxhumana. Ukuminyana kwazo kwenza kube lula ukwenanana phakathi kwabantu, izinhlangano zikahulumeni nemihwebo, okubuye kuhlomulise amaqembu amaningi, njengokuthuthukisa ukufaneleka kokusatshalaliswa kwezingudla nezinkonzo.

Ngokomlando, abahlali basezidlaveleni babebancane kunoluntu lulonke, kodwa emva kwamakhulu amabili eminyaka yokuthutheleka kwabantu ezidlaveleni, zinabantu abangaphezu kwesigamu sabantu abasemhlabeni abahlala kuzo, futhi lokhu kungaba nemiphumela emibi ekulondolozekeni kwembulunga. Izidlavela zanamuhla zakha umnyombo wezindawo ezinkulu nezindawo zasezidlaveleni —ngokwenz abagebeli abaningi abahamba bebheke maphakathi nesidlavela beyofuna umsebenzi, ezokuzinandisa, nemfundo. Kodwa, ezweni lokubhulungisa okusheshayo, zonke izidlavela ngokwamazinga angafani,  zixhumene ngokwembulunga ngale kwalezo zifunda. Leli thonya elikhulu lisho ukuthi izidlavela zinamathonya amqoka ezindabeni zembulunga, ezifana neNtuthuko elondolozayo, ukufudumala kwembulunga, nezempilonhle zomhlaba. Ngenxa yalamathonya amakhulu ezindabeni zomhlaba, umphakathi womhlabawonke uqokomise utshalomali ezidlaveleni ezolondolozayo usebenzisa iMpokophelo 11 yeNtuthuko yokuLondoloza.

 uMqondo 
Isidlavela singahlukaniswa kwezinye izindawo zokuhlala ngobungako baso obukhulu, futhi nangezinsebenzo zaso kanye nokubaluleka kwaso, esikunikezwa igunya eliphezulu. Leli bizo lingabhekisela emigwaqweni nasembijongweni yesidlavela noma isixuku sabantu abahlala khona, futhi lingasebenza ngomqondo ovamile ukubhekisela endaweni eyisidlidli kuneyase makhaya.Kevin A. Lynch, "What Is the Form of a City, and How is It Made?"; in Marzluff et al. (2008), p. 678. "The city may be looked on as a story, a pattern of relations between human groups, a production and distribution space, a field of physical force, a set of linked decisions, or an arena of conflict. Values are embedded in these metaphors: historic continuity, stable equilibrium, productive efficiency, capable decision and management, maximum interaction, or the progress of political struggle. Certain actors become the decisive elements of transformation in each view: political leaders, families and ethnic groups, major investors, the technicians of transport, the decision elite, the revolutionary classes."