Study on private residential land development activities in Dhaka and their compatibility with DMDP structure plan 1995-2015

Abstract

As a capital of a developing coltlJ(ry. me~a cily Dhaka 15 cxpniencing ()ll!stunding growth (!\'~r the last one dL~ade_Dha~" hdS~~p,,[)ded 17.88 times frOlll its inillal ,ii~ (}Ver the period 1951-2001. in the Same lime S;}J[] population h"d increased 25,09 fold" Acc()rding 1ll200 [ Cen,m. Dhaka Mega ellY ac~omm(}dates 10,7 million people. a JnojOI' share of37.45% of the total urban p"puiacicll1 of the countIY (BBS. 2003), In rc,pon;c; (c the growing demand of housing Jnd other urban uses, private land dcveiopillenl companies have emerged as a dominnnt f(l'Ce ill the land market and posing ,lgnilicanl impact on lnncl dc,~luPlll~ot and planning. In orckr jll regulate and guide u,-bal1 development, Dhaka Melmpolilan Oe\'clOplltClll Plan (DMI)I») has stated polLeLes 1m-lhe penod 1995-1015. Like many other third "'orld cOllotnes Dhi1ka also growLng pr~dominuntly in an unplanned l1l,mner. eHn allLl' t~e enJctm~tH of several acls ,1I1d planning documenl,. Thi; L'es~arch attempts to ldenLLI:\ the locations aud (rend of1esidentiailand developmell1 projects by Private Llild Developmenl Companies (I'LDC). List of private lund development pl'ojects within th~ Dh3k:i M<:tlo (DMDP) at'~n hns heen ~ollecled Ii'om various ,ources like R.AIUK. REH/\l3 Vail'. lleW~ papel" 3dveltisemenb and li'OIn internel'. A CPS sut'vey "as cOl1ducted alld 14} L'c,id~llll,,1 lal1d development projeCIS were found within the DMDP area. In additJUn to lield survey. aboul 20 developers w~r~ il1t~rvicwed to gd idea UbOUIthc factors r~'pons;ble fo!' exist Lng trem! of dewlQpl11elll, Tbi~ rcsearch focuses on thrcc ubiecti\'~" (i) 10 identity till: trenu and loeationalaspC'Ct'; Qf private res,dent d bnd dCl'cll1PlllCLlI'lcl i\ iIieo in Dhaka Mct,o Ar~a sincc I 995. (i i) 'I"() el'"IU;l(e the land developmenl ilctil'itlC, a",i,L< ,ompJtibi!i:v "Llh the stJted policic.\ (,,' DMDP (1995-2015) (iJi) Ta fLnd the ,iluses af deviallon from D[l,1DI' and tccommendation for strcLlgtheL1iI1gen forCCIl1Cnlor Slrtld ure plan, Findings from the study depict Ihe li,e( that a sLgnilicanl share of oogomg land dcvclopmenl project, docs not have any kind of ~ppro\, al 1''''111l'elevant authuntie,. l\!any of (he projects have vlOlat~cl (h~ policies swtccl in DMDP and are encroachmS areas demJrcatcd as l'e~lri~leJ zones, i.s a rc.,,,11 high ,aluc agriclIIllLl'JI land and t100d now zonc,; of Dlwka are ill CQn.,tant thr~ill. ThiS rc"eJrch pOItrays lh~ currcnt trend 01 land comersion by I'Rl.DI', which h:lv~ ,eve,e cnvllOl1nJtll1al impact On the ,ily.