The impact of Dhaka's high density development on livability: a sustainability perspective

Abstract

In recent years there was an emerging debate on dense urban forms as the most proficient ways to reduce energy consumption and pollution and for contributing to sustainability. While high density development remains at the centre of the debate of developing a sustainable city, different countries adopt different density policies and achieve different density patterns which eventually generate distinctive consequences on livability. Very little is known about the impact of urban density on livability in the developing countries, despite their high densities. Dhaka, the Capital of Bangladesh, has been ranked as the most densely populated urban area of the world, and its densification process is still on going. As a first step to investigate how Dhaka as a high density city should be managed to realize the advantages and diminish the disadvantages of its density patterns on livability, this paper aims to address the following question: What is the impact of the density pattern on the livability of Dhaka in urban sustainability terms? Both qualitative and quantitative analyses will be undertaken. The major indicators to assess livability will include accessibility to public transport and community facilities, quality of and accessibility to open space, residential space standard, safety of the locality and health performance of the residents. Semi-structured interviews along with questionnaire survey will be undertaken. This study argues that in a high density city which is featured with contiguous low-rise development, it does not possess most of the sustainability benefits in livability as postulated in the compact city literature.