ABSTRACT
The formal spatial organisation of an urban system has been shown to involve at least two dimensions. These are the geometrical framework within which distinctive cultural groups live and interact and characteristics of social areas as perceived by the residents. Both formal and functional organisation of an urban system could be seen as integral components of its spatial structure. The formal organisation and functional association of any stem of interest are known to possess interdependent patterns in space. The functional association of activities in Jos is sought through conventional principal components analysis of the product-moment correlation coefficient matrix derived from the aggregate matrix of the volumes of interaction. Field theory offers a powerful framework for the study of symbiosis that may exist between form and function, and the multivariate technique of canonical correlation offers a practical way of operationalising the field concept.
