Comparing Urban Pattern and Characteristics of Different Towns in Tamil Nadu

This study is about how patterns and characteristics were made by history and also about the transformation of development and urban growth in the current condition of the cities. The study will explain the planning pattern and also the planning principles used during the ancient and modern periods and how they were implemented in these towns. In the ancient period, planning was based on permanent shastras, which were classified as Dandaka, Sarvatobhadra, Nandyavarta, Padmaka, Swasthika Prastara, Karmuka, and Chaturmukha. Later in the development of modern planning principles, they evolved and are classified as the concentric model, the sector model, a combination of the concentric and sector models, and the nuclei model. These planning concepts are different from the ancient ones. In Tamil Nadu, some of the oldest settlements (Srirangam, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, and George Town) have unique characteristics of urban patterns, and this study mentioned the details of aspects such as street patterns, land use activities, and the transformation of those areas. The settlement is based on the needs of the people and describes cultural, economic, or social factors. This paper aims to analyse the pattern and characteristics and the development of towns that create any issues in a particular area. To find the problems that affect the urban pattern through the development of population and the built environment in the specific region. Key words: ancient planning, modern planning, urban pattern and characteristics, population