Flawed building rule to blame for urban sprawl of the capital
Though the government has been implementing Building Construction Rules-2008 for managing the capital's structures properly since 2008, urban planners at a programme yesterday said a provision in the rules is actually doing quite the opposite and turning Dhaka into an unliveable city.
Prof Akter Mahmud, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), said the rules included a provision in 2008 that the height range or floor area ratio (FAR) of a building would be same in all areas.
FAR is the ratio of gross floor area to the size of the land or the permissible built-up floor area for a particular piece of land. But all areas do not have the same utility facilities and other services, said Prof Mahmud.
He made the observation while virtually unveiling a report on "Population density, liveability and development management of Dhaka city" by BIP.
FAR has been kept same for the entire city without considering the population density of a particular area, said Prof Mahmud. Due to the provision, most areas people live in have already surpassed their capacities. As a result, it is getting difficult to reach proper utility services and other facilities to all.
Dhaka has become a city of mismanagement, he added.
For example, Dhanmondi residential area was developed for a population of 15,000-18000 with allocation of 1,083 plots in 1965, he said.
But over the years, the number of plots and height of the buildings were increased. Now there are 1.5 lakh people living in the area with the same road networks and utility management system, said Akter.
He said Rajuk is a liable authority for controlling such an unplanned development. If the authorities cannot work avoiding the interest of individuals or groups, it will be difficult to live in the city.
The BIP report remarked that density planning (controlling number of people inhabiting a given urbanised area) is an important tool and technique to limit the growth of a city. It is important to note that the maximum height in various zones should not be considered automatic; rather it should depend on areas.
A density control measure should be applied in the Detailed Area Plan of Rajuk to ensure sustainable development, the report added.
Dr Adil Mohammad Khan, general secretary of BIP, in his presentation said even though the country's growth is satisfactory, Dhaka continues to be one of the most unliveable cities in the world.
High-rise development does not provide affordable housing; instead it tends to drive housing prices up, enabling more large scale developments, which eventually serve developers' interests, he said.
Very dense high-rise cities are not necessarily the best option. Medium-density, and "compact and infill developments" should be the preferred choice. Developing vacant or under-used parcels within existing urban areas and effective use of land can be a very useful model towards achieving the compact, green, mixed-use and walkable city.
The mid-rise compact city based on "block development" strategy can be a good starting point, he said.
For a developing country like Bangladesh and for a city like Dhaka where majority of the population belongs to the middle income, lower-middle income and lower income groups, such high-rise developments should be discouraged due to lack of affordability of the majority, he added.
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