In the appearance of the settlements there are peculiar features that allow you to attribute some of them to the city, others – to rural.
In everyday life, the appearance is the main (often only) criterion. The city is characterized by a denser development, a large number of storeys of buildings, more developed public centers, a higher level of improvement. The quantitative expression of these differences is currently not sufficiently developed. Thus, depending on the specific gravity of those busy in the rural sectors of production, the place of settlement in the resettlement system and the number of residents all settlements of the republic can be divided into urban and rural. However, in reality, the types of settlements of Horazd. Therefore, their classification should be detailed. Professor c. G. Davidovich proposes to consider the cities of settlements, numbering a minimum of 5-10 thousand. residents. In Estonia, this amount sometimes seems somewhat inflated, since in some cases in settlements numbering 3 thousand. residents, taking into account the population of the zones of their direct influence, ensure sufficient loading of primary and daily service institutions, and the city administration bodies are located in them. It is advisable to assign the status of the city to settlements with 3-5 thousand. residents in which no more than 5-10% of the population are engaged in rural production and there are institutions of primary, everyday and largely periodic maintenance. Settlements with the number of inhabitants 1.5-5 thousand. people. can be considered urban villages if less than 20% of the total number of workers are employed in rural production. It should be noted that, by the appearance, nature of the layout and development, the size of the zones of influence and other signs, most settlements with so many inhabitants in Estonia belong to cities.
