Study on the morphological transformation and the emerging spatial patterns of spontaneous retail development in Bir Uttam Khademul Bashar road, Banani, Dhaka

Abstract

Dhaka has an enormous growth in population, more and more people have started migrating towards the capital city unlike any other parts of the country. During the past few years, forces of urbanization and changes with economic and social issues, the city has gone through major transformation. This change has restructured original organization of land use and land value. Planned residential areas are transforming into unplanned areas with the spontaneous change in land use. Retail stores have started to grow spontaneously within the residential areas to meet the demand of the growing population. This transformation brought about changes in the physical form affecting plot configuration and built-forms. Banani, a high class planned residential area in Dhaka city is an extreme example of such an urban sprawl. This research selects Bir Uttam Khademul Bashar Road, a street in Banani as the study area which accommodate the spontaneous growth of retail functions in the local and global context of Banani. This study focuses on the socio-spatial aspects of spontaneous growth process and the changing spatial patterns of retail growth along with the economic aspects of retail in Banani. Functional and physical aspects of morphological transformation will be studied by the help of spatial patterns, land use intensity and land values. Findings will show changes in land use, built forms, accessibility and land value have brought morphological transformation at Bir Uttam Khademul Bashar Road. Along with changes in physical aspect, findings will show changes in economic activities.