Defining expansion areas in small urban settlements – An application to the municipality of Tomar (Portugal)

Tomar is a city that is located in central Portugal with a population of about 20000. This city, known as the “City of the Templars”, is located in a municipality of the same name, with a population of approximately 40000, which is made up of sixteen “freguesias” or parishes. Two of these parishes correspond roughly to the area of the city of Tomar itself. The largest of the urban centres in other parishes has a population of just over 1000 inhabitants, which shows that there is a proliferation of small urban settlements and very disperse human occupation.