Physical Density and Urban Sprawl: A Case of Dhaka City - KTH

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1.2 Lack of knowledge The lack of knowledge on the physical densities and spatial qualities of housing settlements as well as their impact on urban sprawl can be seen in the most cities all over the world. The study aims at improving the understanding among the scholars who are generating methods and theories about the physical densities, spatial qualities of informal housing settlements which have impact on urban sprawl as well as to reduce the knowledge gap in that field. There is a lack of knowledge on the systematic analyses of physical densities of housing settlements and their impact on urban sprawl, for instance the analysis of density and spatial qualities of houses in the informal settlements and their impact on expansion of city. Lupala notes that fact for the informal housing settlements of Dar es Salam “the rate at which such settlements have been urbanizing has not been established. Systematic analyses on the growth, densification and inherent spatial qualities have been lacking. Inadequate knowledge base on house forms, prevailing densities, space usability and plot characteristics that take place in these settlements have restricted adoption of effective planning inventions” (Lupala,2002:2). The same knowledge gap, as for example analysis of physical densities and their impact on urban sprawl can be seen in Bangladesh, though the urban sprawl is one of the vital problems of the cities in Bangladesh. There is a lack of knowledge on the use of space, how transformation affects spatial qualities and how people view housing modernization. Despite the fact that there is a wide variety of housing in the informal settlements, there is inadequate knowledge of what the existing and emerging house types are, as a result of transformation that could be better developed by professionals like architects and planners. Nguluma states that whether the transformed house types are efficient in terms of density, better spatial qualities allowing ventilation and enough light, is also not known (Nguluma, 2003:5). That is why sometimes it is difficult to describe contemporary housing and planning problems in informal settlements. Nnkya (1999:19) has related the lack of knowledge to ineffective planning in Tanzania and argues that the lack of or too little knowledge on the social, economic and political processes, which shapes the political and physical environment has been influential to defective planning and in same instances triggered off disputes between the planning authorities and the stakeholders. This same problem can be seen in Bangladesh even though the urban types or block types in Tanzania are different from Bangladesh. Most of the rapidly urbanizing cities and their settlements are being developed according to inherited colonial urban types and neighborhood spaces which are yet to be identified, classified and analyzed. While the colonial city reveals some kind of regulated patterns of city growth as influenced by the formal housing settlements, the post colonial city is largely unregulated as influenced by the rapid growth of informal settlements which also are yet to be identified and analyzed to reduce their expansion by developing physical densities and maintaining good spatial qualities (Lupala,2002:2). The formal housing block types of Dhaka city have also been built up by following different colonial block types and most of the informal settlements are being developed in unregulated way without following any block type. This will be explored in this study. 2
Habraken (1998:292-93) states that, despite the fact that informal housing in developing countries consistently showing rapid growth and change rooted in informal local typologies, documentation and study of such informal development has been lacking. There is a knowledge gap on the documentation and study of the root of informal settlements or their inherent typologies which have impact on densities and spatial qualities of those settlements The present study will intend to explore the relation between physical densities, spatial qualities of housing settlements and urban sprawl as well as to reduce the knowledge gap in relation to the density, plot characteristics, functionality of space, scope of cross ventilation of houses and presence of daylight inside the housing blocks. It can also help the planners to improve their understanding in relation to provide housing especially to the poor with the standard housing density and good spatial qualities. 1.3 Aim and Objectives The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between physical densities, spatial qualities of housing settlements and urban sprawl in Dhaka. Therefore the physical densities and spatial qualities of different housing blocks will be studied if they are directly or indirectly affecting the urban sprawl. Although the blocks of formal and informal settlements will be studied, the main focus will on the density, space usability, cross ventilation and provision of daylight in the houses of informal settlements. The results of the study will lead to propose block that maintains standard of physical densities and good spatial qualities and that are affordable to the urban low income people. Objectives Some objectives have been set to fulfil the above mentioned aim. They are as follows: ! To investigate the relationship between physical densities, spatial qualities of housing blocks and urban sprawl. ! To analyse the physical densities of housing settlements, as for example FAR, percentage of land coverage by buildings and plot characteristics of housing settlements. ! To analyse spatial qualities of housing settlements, for instance space usability and cross ventilation of houses emphasizing on informal settlements. ! To explore the impact of physical densities of housing settlements on urban sprawl ! To recommend block type with good spatial qualities as well as being affordable for the urban low income people to combat urban sprawl. 1.4 Methodology To fulfil the objectives of the study, various methods were applied. For the calculation of physical densities in terms of FAR, percentage of land coverage by buildings, plot characteristics; the measurement of block area, land covered by houses, plot sizes, number of storeys were calculated from the aerial photographs by using ‘Google Earth’. Previous personal observations, expert assessments and photographs were applied to analyse the space usability and spatial qualities of housing blocks. Literature review and analysis of empirical studies were carried out from the very early stage of the study to gain knowledge about the relationship between physical densities and urban sprawl as well as to establish theories related to the study. 1.4.1 Research design The case study research strategy was employed to conduct this present study. Johansson defines case study “A case study is expected to capture the complexity of a single case, which 3
Page 1 and 2: KTH Architecture and the Built Envi
Page 3 and 4: CHAPTER 6: FINAL ANALYSIS..........
Page 5 and 6: ABSTRACT Md. Syful Islam: Physical
Page 7: CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This study a
Page 11 and 12: Since the study is dealing with the
Page 13 and 14: Banani Model Town residential area
Page 15 and 16: Applied Procedure to calculate land
Page 17 and 18: CHAPTER 2 THEORY OF THE CONCEPTUAL
Page 19 and 20: crowded and unsuitable environments
Page 21 and 22: unrealistic because tall buildings
Page 23 and 24: Carlos Barquin et. el. (1986) emplo
Page 25 and 26: Fig 2.7: Cluster of Informal settle
Page 27 and 28: Figure 3.1: Physical growth of Dhak
Page 29 and 30: Until 1951, Bangladesh was almost c
Page 31 and 32: 3.5 Land use pattern of Dhaka city
Page 33 and 34: construction is illegal while squat
Page 35 and 36: even accuse RAJUK, the most promine
Page 37 and 38: CUS, the number of informal settlem
Page 39 and 40: Figure 3.9: Ratio of formal and inf
Page 41 and 42: CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS FROM THE INFORMA
Page 43 and 44: Spatial qualities Spatial qualities
Page 45 and 46: settlement are selling their daily
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Page 49 and 50: Figure 4.15: The space inside the h
Page 51 and 52: It can be seen from the findings of
Page 53 and 54: 5.2 Shobhanbagh officers’ colony
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narrow roads for drying and washing
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CHAPTER 7 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCL
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of proper monitoring in housing mar
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Nnaggenda-Musana A., (2004), Sprawl
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Physical Density and Urban Sprawl: A Case of Dhaka City - KTH

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