Page 49 - JCAU-6-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism A study on the spatial characteristics of gara

Figure 4. Evolution of urban space in Surat. Source: Baradi & Malhotra (2009)

block structure, while the inheritance of Pol typology
2
led to a non-grid-like block structure. Third, Muslim
3
neighborhoods adopted non-grid forms (Ahmedabad,
1990). Fourth, the British’s adoption of the Victoria plan
in Surat contributed to the formation of a grid-like block.
The uniqueness of Surat lies in being the only town in
the southern part of Gujarat that showcases both northern
and south settlement patterns and architectural forms. The
subsequent sections of this paper delve into the analysis of
these three points in conjunction with case studies.

4.2.2. Description of the six blocks

Figure 5. Double city walls of Surat. Source: Baradi & Malhotra (2009) To gain a deeper understanding of the various principles
involved in urban development, a detailed analysis was
4.2. Block system conducted on six blocks, namely Nanavat, Haripura, Med
Harpura, Hindu, Parsi, and Bohra (Figure 8). The selected
A comparison of the texture of the Surat neighborhood region belongs to different periods, communities, and religions,
between 1817 and 2018 (Figure 6) reveals that the original and can be viewed as representatives of the entire city.
road layout has remained unchanged, with new roads
primarily concentrated in the eastern and southern parts Nanavat, situated in the inner city, emerged in the initial
of the outer city. As the population grew, residential areas stage of urban development and was the home to wealthy
Banyan merchants. In the Mughal era, Jains migrated from
expanded toward the highlands in the northeast. Due to Rander and Northern Gujarat to this place and residents
the necessity of urban drainage, the original terrain has inherited the spatial concept of pol typology distinct from
remained unaltered, maintaining a natural slope.
the traditional South Gujarat typology (Kinariwala, 2012).
4.2.1. Grid and non-grid blocks Nanavat adhered to a patriarchal system, where the head of
The spatial configuration of the Surat neighborhood 2 Typology of southern Gujarat: In the settlement
(Figure 7) can be categorized into grid and non-grid pattern of southern Gujarat, each dwelling is connected
shapes, with the inner-city wall demarcating the boundary. to adjacent dwellings, sharing a wall to form a row, and
the streets are randomly distributed over the entire
The inner city exhibits a non-grid-like texture, whereas the block, without the blind alleys in northern Gujarat.
outer city showcases a grid-like pattern. The formation of 3 Pol typology: The urban typology of northern Gujarat is
these patterns can be attributed to four key points. First, the within the settlement model of northern Gujarat. Each
gradual development of inner cities contributed to a non- dwelling is connected to adjacent dwellings, sharing a
grid-like texture. The inner city, evolving over an extended wall; many such units form a row. There is a similar
row on the opposite side of each row, so these two
period, witnessed buildings accumulating over time, rows enclose the space in front. So, the entire layout is
resulting in loosely arranged blocks and a non-grid-shaped identical to a fortress. Due to the closure of both ends,
block. In contrast, the outer city saw the rapid formation of the settlement formed a dead end. However, in towns,
blocks, characterized by long and orderly streets, creating the situation is different. People from different castes
may be adjacent to each other and may all be open to
an overall grid-like texture. Second, the introduction of an ordinary street, with both ends closed with gates.
South Gujarat typology facilitated the creation of a grid-like This arrangement is called POL typology.

Volume 6 Issue 1 (2024) 5 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1979