CEPT University

Directed Research Project (DRP) Proposal Form

Name of the Guide: Manan Singal
Contact information:
Email id – manan.singal@gmail.com
Telephone no: 94084 90290
Faculty and Program: Faculty of Architecture; Undergraduate Program in Architecture
Position: Visiting faculty
Title of the DRP: Urban formation patterns in port towns of India.
No of students the guide is accepting in this DRP: 1

Introduction about the proposed research (150 – 200 words)

The Indian Ocean edge due to its geographical spread introduces various cultural distinctions in its coastal towns.
Trade being the center of the port town, each town displays a unique urban structure and pattern. The trading
network leading to the hinterlands and its interdependency in coastal towns generates numerous patterns of
tangible and intangible networks.
Trade doesn’t remain only a commodity, but expands to ideas, religion, and cross-cultural influences due to the
movement of people across distant regions eventually transforming the town’s urban form. Throughout history
many traces of various port towns are found in India. The geographical instabilities in and around some coastal
towns have resulted in the decline of the port and its sea trading prominence. The political shifts resulted in unique
formation and transformation in the urban patterns of the port towns. Today existence of smaller port towns is
critical due to the expansion of coastal transport activities and threats of sea level rise. The research attempts to
identify the generators in Indian port towns through the port town evolutions and their impact on certain urban
patterns of today. The study is focused on the towns located along the coast of Gujarat. The towns may display
shifts in patterns due to the nature of the generator being physical, political, socio-cultural, environmental, or
amalgamation of these.

Aims and objectives

The research attempts to identify the correlations of various generators in port towns and its impact on certain
urban patterns of today.

 The study identifies the location and physical characteristics of the port towns.

 To understand the importance of hinterland network in order to establish the rise and fall of the port
activities.

 To identify the major and minor generators that directs the urban structure of the town.

 To understand the spatial relationships of urban form through the various pattern.

Expected outcomes
Student is expected to generate various maps and pattern of the selected town- tangible and intangible networks,
community segregation and connection, built forms, building uses, cluster patterns, activity patterns, organizing
principles. Student will identify particular area showcasing the cross cultural influence evident through built form by
documentation.

Schedule of the DRP (weekly for 16 weeks)

Week-1,2,3 Literature review Understanding Urban patterns, history of trades in India,

understanding importance of the port towns, identification
 2
of the case studies
Week- 4,5,6 Data collection Site visits, Data collation of various historic maps, analysis of
data collected against the existing situation, mapping and
documentation.
Week- 7,8,9 Framework Identified parameters to analyze selected case studies
through literature review and site data mapping.
Week - 10,11, Case study -1 Complete analysis of one case study.
Week- Remaining case study and Continuing the other case study, Compilation of documents,
12,13,14,15,16 final document. writing the conclusion.

Relevant literature

Some of the reading to start with:

Subramanian, Lakshmi, Ports Towns Cities : A Historical Tour of the Indian Littoral
Mehta, Makarand, ‘ Gujarat ane Dariyo ‘, Darshak Itihaas Nidhi, 2011.
Mehta, Makarand, History of International Trade and Custom Duties in Gujarat, Darshak Itihaas
Nidhi, 2009.
Ashin, Das Gupta, Merchants of Maritime India, 1500–1800
Arthur Gallion- The Urban Pattern: City Planning & Design
Spiro Kostof -The City Shaped, The City Assembled

How is this DRP aligned with the long-term research direction of the guide?
In India, a complex structure of the city is the outcome of multiple layers of other systems being overlaid upon each
other. Since historic time’s numerous cities have emerged, got established and been inhabited for many centuries,
allowing these numerous layers to be superimposed. And these cities have been appropriated by people with
bottom up approaches. Multiple overlapping systems make it a perfect example of a complex system.
My interest is to understand the Indian cities and its complexity through various decoding methods. The coastal
town due to its geographic conditions identifies the complex network system that could be further analyses,
decoded with measurable values.
Student expenses:
Travel for data collection and visit to towns, identified as the case studies.
Stay + Travel

External funding:
NO

Recommended by: Approved by:

DRP Committee
(Faculty in-charge + Program Chair) Dean, Faculty of Architecture