Abstract:
Dhaka CIty has been expenencmg a tremendollS growth in population and physical
expansIon. The rapid gro\\1h of population has ,trained the environment in many ways,
Manifestation of such environmenlal detenoratlOn is visible in terms of incidence of fire,
traffic accidents and cnme, strained urban utilities etc. It is essential 10 m,estigate the
distribution of living environmental quahty comprehensl,ely and systematically in order
to find om the most reasonable priorities ofurban redevelopment
In thlS exploratory type of research, a compreheJls1Vemdicator of the living environment
has been established that takes into account the vanous components that constitute the
environment. In Uus study the comprehensive indicator is evaluated by only lwo
evaluation standards-health and safety. These st"ndards are evaluated by evalualion
ilems such as fire, trallic accident, crimes, urban \ltilities, health hw.ard, hO'p,tal, parks
and open spaces, sl~ nOIse etc which are [urthdr described by components and input
mdicators Analytical Hierarchy Proces.<:(AHP) has been applied to identify the priority
given by residents to tho,e Items and components. Among the se,en items viz. fire,
traffic accident, crime, urban utllit\es, health ha.-.ard,health care facilities and parks and
open spaces, the most Lmportant Item to be came out urban uhlitles, Parks und open
space are considered the second most unportant Jlem affecting the environmental quality,
Fire is the least important item that affects the safety standard of living environment
qUail!)'according to the respondems
The Multicriteria Methodology has been used to derive the comprehensive indicator of
the quality of urban living envirorunent based on the indicators of health and safety
standard, The welghted factor method provides a procedure where each indicator IS
assigned a score, which is multip~ed by the welght of that laelOr. The results of the
multiplication are added and then a comprehensive score is determined, The
comprehensive indicator IScategori«ed mto three calegories belter, moderate und worse.
C,llzens of Dhaka e,t;" are more awaw of the nature and extent of the problem that they
are confronled WIth, and their input would gn'e a solid liase for an indicator for
evaluating the livivg environment of the city. To address the particular envirorunental
problems of an area, the opiruon of residents of the area must be incorporated into the
plannmg process. WIthout participation of the residents of the area no planning ""ill be
appropriate [or improvmg the hvmg eJ1V\ronmen
