The name is absent

tried to include also industrial development besides the services (Nômmik 1979), based on
Losch (1955) model.

According to size of the centre and its hinterland, six levels were defined in
hierarchy of Estonia’s settlement system (Nômmik 1979):

1) 3441 villages with population below 250 inhabitants. As Estonian villages are very
small and disperse, service units like elementary school (4 class), small shop and
post office were planned for a group of villages.

2) Small centre (300-700 inh.), normally new fast growing collective farm centre with
total population approximately 1000-1200 in the hinterland, had number of service
functions like kindergarten, basic school (8 class), cultural house with public
library, apothecary, more specialised shops, bank office, etc., and production units
active within the territory of this particular collective farm.

3) Local centre, normally historical rural towns (parish centres) with more diverse
services and sometimes also some industries, served by idea wider territory: several
collective farms and/or village soviets with population ca 5000 in its hinterland.
Local centre was supposed to be accessed within 20-25 minutes. The number of
such centres was defined about 60-70 in Estonia. Industrial towns without
significant hinterland, whose population was over the critical level, were ranked
also as local centres.

4) Rajoon (county) centre, in most cases old historical regional capital (bishops centre,
stronghold, trade city), had already wide range of specialised services including e.g.
theatres, vocational schools, etc., rather big industrial enterprises and important
administrative functions, approachable within 30-45 minutes. Centres itself had
average size of 15-20 thousand inhabitants and together with hinterland in most
cases 40-100 thousand.

5) Larger cities with more than 50’000 inhabitants were considered as regional centres
serving group of rajoons with total population more than 150’000 and were
supposed to accessed within one hour of driving. Characteristic services on that
level were higher educational institutions.

6) Capital of Estonia.

Service units in different sectors had own normative standards: minimum required
number of people to be served and capacity. The goal of Soviet service sector planning was

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