INTRODUCTION

The Dhaka Metropolitan Development Planning (DMDP) project covers both Dhaka and Chittagong. In Dhaka, the project is being carried out under Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK). The official project inception date was 1992.This plan is consisted of four main components, likely planning, drainage, computerized Data & Mapping, and national consultancy surveys. From the date of inception until now, lot of development took place within and surroundings of Dhaka city. A small part of this comprehensive plan it is attempted to discuss through this assignment. This assignment deals with the discussion of the urban expansions policies, flood related policies & the policies of high agricultural land and their implementation & unsuccessfulness A gradualist approach towards achieving spatial change in Dhakas urban development is the key principle. Keeping this principle in mind different strategies have taken place, like urban expansion policies, flood &high agricultural land related policies. A brief discussion of the major features of the proposed strategy is in the following.

OPTIMIZING DHAKAS EXISTING URBAN LAND RESOURCES The plan aims to optimize existing urban land resources by absorbing the demand of maximum percentage of population growth within the limits of the largely flood protected urban area. The implementation of this strategy would reduce the difference of densities between sub areas and built up urban areas. The land resources optimization strategy is divided into two sub-strategies. Consolidation The sub strategy readjusts the established urban area to better utilization of land resources. It gives priority to planned and serviced low-density districts and those with reserves of vacant and under utilized land. It also assumes that infill opportunities will diminish with passage of time. The availability of flood free land in high demand locations, affordability and several other factors will influence this diminishing of infill opportunities. Accelerated Development This sub strategy is associated with the acceleration of development of existing urban fringe; for example Badda, Ashulia, Tongi etc. Conversion of rural land adds to gross built urban area but the absorption of the population growth is low in this part. It is because of the lengthy process of development cycle of under capitalized sector. For this reason, this strategy adopts policies to more cost effective development process of these areas.

PLANNED NEW AREA DEVELOPMENT

New land development is another main aspect of the urban expansion policy in the DMDP structure plan. New land development will ease pressure on the existing urban area that requires the adoption of fundamental policy changes. Development of affordable land for all income groups is one of the most urgent and serious development issues facing Dhaka. Despite the fact, RAJUKs promotion of new satellite and high standard model settlements in remote location is against the principle of the DMDP structure plan. The locations adjacent to the present developed and developing areas are being developed by private sector without proper planning. This form of development is detrimental to the eco system and found at sites of Kuril, Kazipara and Meradia. Large tracts of fringe urban land has been developed by filling the land with loose and excavated soil of inherent unstable qualities ignoring the potentiality of high flood risk. However, the DMDP structure plan encourages private sector intervention but the basic planning principle must be followed. Further, that given the nature of the informal development process, the long lead- time between land acquisition and final build out, the location of these areas is already largely predetermined. Given this situation, the priority for new areas in which the objectives would be to formalize the informal, as far as practical and affordable, and to help speed up the development process. This sub-strategy is summarized below:

Infrastructure-led Development Initiatives (ILDIs) The priority locations for such initiatives are the Dhaka-Narayanganj-Demra (DND) Triangle and at the peripheries of the Eastern and Western suburbs.

The proposed initiatives include flood protection where necessary and commitment by government to a programme of incremental infrastructure provision. The objective of this initiative would be for government to facilitate the development process of the private, mainly informal sector, without recourse to wholesale, costly and time consuming land acquisition. However, the more needy income groups would still require public sector initiated sites and services schemes, and on a scale and at a pace not previously attained.

LONG TERM PLANNED NEW AREA DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES A major target of the above sub-strategies would be to speed up the development process. In new developed land area rapid increase in densities would be cost effective and use of land resources would also improved. Implementation of this sub strategy will reduce the densification pressure on the older established area. If it is assumed that the strategy, opportunities have been pursued over the short term and medium term for new development initiatives to new locations for post 2005, it would still need another development strategy based on land resource optimization. As during the period of pre 2005, the urban fringe areas, and areas experiencing new growth over the intervening period will still have substantial capacity for absorbing additional growth. With this proviso, it should be possible in the second decade of the plan period to actively promote urban development in other more distant locations of the metropolitan area. The strategy for new are planned development has a gradualist approach to achieve spatial change in Dhakas urban pattern of growth and links it to the supply of flood free land. This strategy of post 2005 new area development has two main sub components: Flood protected development areas Although protected from outside flooding he priority project area will still require storm water drainage facilities, design to optimize the use of natural depression and khals, to make them habitable. In addition, here, public sector involvement is necessary to prevent urban encroachment of proposed retention ponds and formal approval of all land filling. The continuation of ILDI approach will be needed. Dispersed flood free development areas In the later period of this plan, the continuing growth would divert to more dispersed locations having the advantage of relatively flood free. It is seen dispersal of population to

new or satellite towns is a costly process. For this reason, the strategy for dispersal is that priority locations in greater Dhaka are those, which benefits from elements that would ease costs and acts as a catalyst for appropriate and affordable development. Some of the key elements are; Relatively high flood free land Minimal conflict with high quality agricultural land Existing transport links to Dhaka city and between the location and other regional centers Relatively low land cost Based on these criteria the plans; first priority location is north of Savar, in the extreme North West area of Rajuk control area. This location is situated at Dhamsona. Four other candidate locations for dispersed development are, Savar, joydebpur, due north of Dhaka, yusufganj and kaliganj. It is to these locations that majority of the half million people targeted in the plan for dispersal to flood free areas in the 2005-2015period should be directed.

IMPACT ON DHAKAS SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT PATTERN The result of the spatial development strategy on Dhakas distribution of population is may be said in the following way: The sub- strategy of consolidation within 1983 established urban area will result in a 25 year increase in population of some 2.65 million, or 32% of the total projected growth , with approximately half this increase occurring in Dhakas western and eastern suburbs. The rate of increase is expected to decline over the DMDP structure plan period as opportunities for infill and densification diminish. In the presently under developed urban fringe (from 1983), the Accelerated Growth Substrategy is expected to accommodate the absorption of an additional 1.29 million, increasing the capacity of these areas more than threefold: Together the above two sub-strategies will accommodate just over half (48%) the projected 1991-2015 population increase to be absorbed within the defined 1991 urban area. The bulk of the remainder (42%) will be strategically directed to new development locations, split approximately 60/40 between expansions of the main urban area and to more dispersed location to the north and northwest. The impacts of the DMDP plan because of the change in spatial development pattern in urban area, The share of population increase in the urban area will drop. This decline will be more pronounce in the already existing established urban area. New area development will increase the share of more dispersed locations from 13% to 28% by 2016 In post 2016, further acceleration towards dispersal will occur due to the infrastructure liked development initiatives of the previous years. PROVISIONAL DECISIONS

The DMDP structure plan has three phases: short, medium and long-term period. It aims to be open ended and flexible. It can be updated; priorities and sequencing can be adjusted with the prevailing circumstance. The plan has drawn on the investment programs of public sectors agencies and activities, which operate within metropolitan Dhaka. For long term, proposals are intended as an overall framework for investment programming. This is subjected to screening and evaluation to reduce to a set of viable projects at sectoral level. The structure plan is designed to be monitored, reviewed. Inflexibility of the blueprint will fail to achieve its purpose.

SPATIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECTORS

The policies said below focused on the promotion of the positive aspects of the non-urban land use areas within the metropolitan area. Areas of High Agricultural Value Most of the one fifth of the total land within the DMDP areas of high and good quality agricultural value has already been lost due to urbanization. The structure plan advocates reviving this agricultural land to meet the future demand for fresh green vegetables and fruits. Therefore, three areas of high quality agricultural land within the market catchments area of Dhaka will be conserved and promoted as areas of high intensity food production. The main reason for the policy is to ensure a base for urban food supplies in close proximity to the city and to improve income levels within the agricultural sector of the metropolitan areas economy. These areas would be controlled by restriction of development to existing village clusters, land sub-divisions of five or less plots, structures of no more than two stories and uses ancillary to and supportive of the agricultural sector. RAJUK is the controlling agent of these areas. Urbanization is affecting the high value agricultural land by developing the different structures for both residential and commercial purpose. Pictures show the area of high agricultural value:

Flood plains, Rivers and Water Bodies

The river and flood plains and the water body play an important role in the economy and ecology within the plan area. They provide water for irrigation and for urban uses. These water bodies require policies, which will limit the damage inherent in uncontrolled flooding, manage, and conserve the rich resources they bring to the areas rural and urban economies. Flood plain treatment Dhaka is actually an island contained to the east by the Lakhya/ Balu river system and to the west by the Buriganga/ Dhaleswari. The previously free ranging river system will be constrained as proposed in the flood protection proposals to consolidate the island by means of embankments to east and west. For this, policies will be needed to ensure the hydraulic integrity of the remaining flood plain areas and to protect the rivers from urban pollution. The policy - Flood flow zones: Land development, within the designated flood plain areas of the DMDP structure plan, will be controlled in order to avoid obstructions to flood flow, which might otherwise result in adverse hydraulic effects such as, for example, the rise of floodwater levels and changes in flow direction. It means that land development for residential, commercial and industrial development, including raising the level of land, via land filling will be strictly prohibited. Agriculture; dry season recreation facilities; ferry terminals; and excavation of mineral deposits may be permitted to use these areas. The reason of this policy is to minimize adverse effects, the risk to human life and economic damage. Nevertheless, the matter of apathy is that the rapid growth of urbanization affected these flood flow zones by encroachment. Flood Retention Ponds

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Flood retarding ponds are a key component of flood protection schemes FAP-8A and FAP8B. The ponds will reduce the intensity of local flooding within the protected areas and reduce pumping requirements at times of maximum surface water runoff. Therefore, the policy related with the flood retention pond mentioned in the plan is, as control will be maintained over the areas designated in the DMDP structure plan for flood retention ponds in order to ensure that they remain capable of fulfilling their function of water storage at times of flooding It is said that the use of the land within designated retention pond areas to be restricted to the following activities: *Agriculture; * Fish cultivation; and * Recreation. It is further said in the plan that no land filling or permanent structures will be permitted within the designated retention pond areas. Nevertheless, it is true that many of the retention ponds have already been filled for the narrow interest.

CONCLUSION The overall implementation of the different policies mentioned in the DMDP structure plan proved to be effective but some part of the plan has not been yet realized by the concern agencies. In short DMDP structure plan provides healthy nature of development as Dhaka metropolitan is concerned.

Assignment on

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Dhaka Metropolitan Development Planning (DMDP)

Dhaka Structure Plan 1995-2015

Submitted to: Ms. Ishrat Islam Mr. Mamun Montasir Rahman Course No: Plan 6004 Course Name: Urban Planning

Prepared by Mohammad Obaieadul Hoque Roll No: 100615048

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