ABSTRACT.

This thesis is primarily a study of the 'spatial culture' and the culture of cities. From previous studies of different cities, it is evident that there are morphological and syntactic differences in distinct cultural settings. This study will consider the differences in morphology of different areas within a single city. For looking at this issue, a study of the Walled City of Ahmedabad, where various ethnic communities live in distinct was carried out.
 

This report represents an investigation of the similarities and differences in the local neighbourhoods within the old city of Ahmedabad in terms of their syntactic values and the structuring principles of spaces. These differences were related to local historical development and culture of Ahmedabad. To establish this, spatial variables were statistically correlated with the qualitative observations about the pattern of space-use and cultrual landscape of the city as well as comparion of spaces of different cultrual groups. All the above factors were taken to constitute the culture of these areas. In a contrast-study, the areas were examined as embedded in the city as well as in isolation. This was done in order to find the differences in the organisation of spaces, its relation to the confines of Walled City and its relation to other spaces within the same area.

In the research, contrasting differences in the spatial character of the areas were expected. The analysis showed that they are similar in many ways when considered in isolation but different in their relation to the city as a whole. Thus, it appears that while there are differences in cultural and pattern of use of spaces, the manifestation of these differences are not as contrasting as expected from studies comparing similar aspects of cities located in distinct parts of the world.