Author: Lasantha Manawadu
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no. HS-95-16
Year: 1995
Academic Program: Human Settlement (HS)
Type: Thesis (M.Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 1994
Examination Committee: B.W.E. Wickramanayake (Chairperson); Gopal B. Thapa, Kaew Nualchawee (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: The objective of this study is to analyse the changes in Colombo city, capital of Sri Lanka and to identify the ‘Potential Surfaces. As proposed recently, a large number of variables have been taken in to account in determining the spatial pattern of social and economic activities and GIS technique is used to overlay maps to recognize the ‘Potential Surfaces’. First, the population distribution pattern of the city and the filtering process was analysed. The population distribution pattern has changed over time and one of the interesting finding is the pattern of filtering process occurred in the city. As a result of the filteling process, the residential as well as economic activities have changed in space. Some of the high class residential areas have turned out to be low income residential areas and commercial areas. Second, the dynamics of the ethnic segregation was examined. There is one majority ethnic group, Sinhalese, and several other minority ethnic groups in the city. Certain wards in the city had high concentration of ce1tain ethnic groups indicating segregation. As the city grew, spatial dimension of ethnic concentration has changed. The majority ethnic group has moved out from their original residential areas to the outskirts while the concentration of certain minority ethnic groups increased in those areas. The wards with a larger concentration of Tamils and Moors increased because of in-migration of Tamils to the city from north of the country and high growth rate of Moors. The Malay community has remained more or less in the same area. The number of Burghers as well as the areas which had high concentration of them are shrinking. However, the method used for analysing the ethnic segregation failed to show this clearly. Third, the occupation concentration pattern of the city was examined. This analysis showed that there is a high concentration of workers in the northern pa1t of the city and high concentration of professional groups in the south and south-eastern pa1t of the ci
Scholarship Donor(s): The Government of Japan
Note: A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science
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