Asutusalue

Asutusalue, in Estonian planning and geography, refers to a defined area designated for settlement and the built environment within a municipality. The term combines asutus (settlement or establishment) and ala (area) and is used as a planning category to indicate where construction, housing, services, and related infrastructure are concentrated.

The asutusalue typically includes buildings, streets, utilities, public spaces, and often attached commercial or light industrial activities necessary for daily life. Boundaries are defined in municipal land-use plans, such as master plans or detailed plans, and can be adjusted as development proceeds. The designation helps align housing density, service provision (water, sewage, electricity), transportation, and public facilities with planned growth.

Asutusalue is distinguished from rural or agricultural land, nature protection areas, and other non-built-up zones. In practice, municipalities may designate several asutusalue cores or zones, ranging from central town centers to outer residential districts, each with its own zoning rules and development guidelines. In statistical and planning contexts, built-up or settlement areas are used to categorize developed, inhabited space, though the exact definitions can vary between institutions and plans.

Overall, asutusalue serves as a planning tool to organize where people live and work, how infrastructure is distributed, and how urban growth is managed within a municipality.