Densification of residential areas in Dhaka an enquiry of causes and consequences to address approaches towards sustainability

Abstract

Densification is a widely practised strategy of the recent years to achieve sustainable compact city by restraining urban sprawl. As one of the fastest growing Megacities with a population of about 14.3 million, the residential areas of Dhaka have been transforming through a continuous process of densification to accommodate the ever increasing population. This research investigates the present densification process in Dhaka and enquires about its causes and consequences. Dhaka had to experience a huge deficit of housing stock after Independence due to the influx of refugees and rural migrants. Failing to fulfill the housing demand till the 1980s the government allowed densification of the existing residential areas through vertical expansion. The ongoing densification process is rapidly transforming the residential areas vertically with an intensification of commercial activities. As a result of this vertical transformation a host of crises both in urban and neighbourhood scale started emerging which includes traffic congestion, lack of open space, sense of belonging, safety and security, inadequate ventilation, solar access in the built forms leading to the deterioration of the living environment and putting the sustainability of the residential areas at stake. Due to the scarcity of land densification seems to be a practical option for Dhaka to achieve sustainable development but the densification of residential areas of the city does not seem to have accrued the claimed benefits yet. On the contrary the overall livability of the residential areas seems to be deteriorating day by day. So the central question placed is what errors beset the current densification process and how it is hampering the sustainability of the residential areas?

Through a descriptive and exploratory approach, and by review and deduction of archival and secondary documentary resources, supplemented by empirical evidence from case studies, this thesis traced, analysed and described the current development crisis associated with the densification process of the residential areas of Dhaka and tried to delve in the depth of the problem to identify the probable causes and consequences of the ongoing densification. The seven case study areas chosen reflect variation in locational characteristics, settlement pattern, age, density and socio-economic differentiation. The research adopted a mixed methods approach using both qualitative and quantitative data and the intention was to understand the densification process in their environmental contexts inclusive of the locational, spatial, social, economic and political dimensions through the analysis of various density attributes and inhabitants’ experiences. The findings indicated that the overall densification of the residential areas of new Dhaka in terms of physical density is still in an optimum stage except those of old Dhaka. An examination of the trend of densification of the selected case study areas since the last four decades sheded light on the nature and intensity of redevelopment activities the city underwent during this period. In evaluating the sustainability of the residential areas the most visible and serious negative impact of the ongoing densification had been found on the urban transportation system rather than the livability of the residential areas. Perception of density among the residents was found to vary greatly depending on personal, socio-economic, environmental and spatial factors. Respondents displayed higher level of satisfaction despite the inadequate and improper provision of various physical attributes of the built environment in relatively high density residential areas. High density was found to be positively associated with health problem, safety and security, social cohesion but demonstrated negative association with accessibility of public transport, amount of living space, open space, aesthetic appeal, visual and acoustic privacy of the residential areas. Through developing a better understanding of the socio-economic and spatial manifestations of the ongoing densification process this research encouraged a way of thinking that supports the creation of contextual policies paramount to the sustainable development of residential areas of Dhaka.