Improving the Urban Development Control Mechanism in Bangladesh: A Case Study of Dhaka City

Abstract

The consequences of urbanization for a country are not given. Urbanization holds both promises and problems for a country and features that come to dominate depend on the nature and efficiency of policy engagement with the urban agenda. Development control can be defined as a strategy, adapted by each community, to guide growth within that community. It entails a collection of policies, regulations and incentives that support objectives of growth of a community. There are a number of planning and development control initiatives, which are used as tools or instruments for urban growth management, such as comprehensive planning, zoning, subdivision regulations, property taxes, development fees, infrastructure investments and other policy instruments that significantly influence the development of an urban area. Development control mechanism is vital for an urban area for achieving quality living of the urban community. Development control forms a major part of urban land use policy and contributes for promoting public interests, eliminating negative externalities, improving information base for decision making and redistributing public costs and benefits. Development control is mainly a public sector strive to control market forces in order to achieve varied social objectives and to shape transformation of the urban built environment. Bangladesh is one of the countries of south Asia that is experiencing rapid urbanization. Its cities are growing more than twice the rate of rural areas, and this rapid growth of urbanization is expected to continue till Bangladesh transitions from a low income to a middle income country. About 30 percent of the total population living in urban areas is contributing approximately 60 percent to the national GDP. Consequently, urbanization has become synonymous with development. This has been manifested by corresponding increase in the number of urban centers in the country. In the distribution of urban population, the large cities have absorbed the major share, the capital Dhaka being one of the densely populated cities in the world. Secondary towns or municipalities of the country are also growing at a rapid pace as well.A number of planning and development control tools are being applied in Bangladesh for managing the growth of Dhaka and other urban areas of the country. These tools include Master Plan, Development Plan, Municipal Acts, Building Construction Act and Rules, Building Code and so on. Although these are aimed at directing the growth of the city in a deliberate and well-managed way, the city has been sprawling outwards in an unrestricted fashion. These measures are proved to be not enough to guide the land development and management process in the urban areas. The main purpose of this research is to explore and examine current practices of urban development control mechanism in Bangladesh in general and Dhaka City in particular. The research seeks to find answer on “how the existing laws, rules and regulationsfollowed for urban development control in respect of urban planning exercises are appropriate for urban development in Bangladesh”? The research question is further diagnosed with a number of arguments that this research would come across within its scope for investigations. Further investigations were made to substantiate such arguments, which are as follows: i) the concepts that might be considered for urban development control mechanism in the urban planning context of Bangladesh; ii) How effective are the existing laws, rules and regulations for urban development control mechanism in Bangladesh? Iii) Are there any variations in the practices of urban development control mechanism for different urban areas (such as metropolitan area, cities and municipalities) in Bangladesh or elsewhere? iv) What are the roles of different government agencies regarding development control of Dhaka city? And v) What are the pros and cons of Dhaka city in applying and improving urban development control mechanism for planned development? Based on literature review and collection of data and information, the research sought for finding out the current practices of urban development control mechanism in Bangladesh in general and RAJUK area in particular. A mixed method is used to collect data as it is considered suitable for gathering information from different groups of participants including households, government officials, researchers and community leaders. This research is has adopted a qualitative approach for data collection and analysis to investigate the development control mechanism in practice in different urban areas of Bangladesh, namely metropolitan cities and municipalities (Paurashavas). The data has been mainly presented in the forms of Tables and Figures. The qualitative approach of data collection and analysis was also used, mainly in understanding the existing problems, constraints and future scope and potentialities of improvement in urban development control mechanism for the urban areas of Bangladesh. The secondary data for this research were collected through reviewing literature and various documents, laws and rules. The primary data were collected through questionnaire survey and interviews.The research finds that there are differences between development control mechanisms among all the urban areas of Bangladesh. Development control mechanisms followed in various international cities and countries are also analyzed in this study to know about global practices and trends of changes. In the case of Bangladesh, land owners in Dhaka city have to follow Detailed Area Plan (DAP) and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of RAJUK for land use clearance and building permission, while for Paurashava in most of the cases, there is no Detailed Area Plan and no provision of FAR. In those areas, land owners have to follow Building construction Rules 1996 for building permission. Municipalities in this respect are lagging behind the Dhaka city in terms of practicing development control mechanisms. The study provides opportunities to find out the drawbacks of the current development control practices in Dhaka city. Absence or improper use of rules and regulations often result in unwanted physical development of urban areas. Master plans for various cities v and municipalities in Bangladesh recommend different development control mechanisms. This study reveals that in Savar Paurashava area, 58% of the land owners of the planned residential area violate the development control rules, as opposed to it, 78% land owners of the spontaneously developed area in Savar Paurashava violet the rules. In Dhaka city, only 23% land owners of Dhanmondi, a high class residential area under RAJUK were found to violet the building rules. It is observed that the approaches in the execution of plans, policy and laws in regards to urban development control have influence in the quality of urban space.The research finally has made some recommendations on the improvement of development control mechanism for urban areas in Bangladesh in general and RAJUK area with its cities and municipalities in particular. This may help national policy planners to consider reviewing the existing legal documents for possible improvement on development control mechanisms in urban development. Thus the policy makers, planning and other related professionals, academics and researchers in urban planning and development are expected to benefit from this research.