%0 Journal Article
%T Sustainable Approach to Regenerating Residential Form and Density: Case in Dhaka
%A Quazi M. Mahtab-Uz Zaman
%A Richard Laing
%J Urban Studies Research
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/783792
%X This paper presents principles and praxis of sustainable approach to maintaining targeted ¡°residential regeneration by density¡± yet achieving innovations in urban form in a contextual scenario of Dhaka City, the capital of Bangladesh. It is evident from the context that Dhaka is experiencing a dramatic transformation in residential density due to demographic changes during the past two decades due the concentration of social, administrative, institutional, recreational, small-scale industries, and associated housing facilities. The transformation is visible in residential built footprint, significantly due to the demand-driven and density-led market, originated from low rise and low density and transforming to high density high rise. This transformation has been consistently threatening social and environmental realm indicated by depletion of garden houses; reduction of public parks; shrinking walkways; deletion of setback for ventilation and sun shade from trees; slowing down mobility; and obstruction of physical and visual permeability. The paper discussed a pragmatic approach that professionals have adopted to control the density and to introduce scopes for innovative urban forms by way of applying floor area ratio (FAR) methods and further discusses the merits of the methodological process of exercising morphology with a set of new building rules without undermining the market demand. 1. Strength of Urban Form and Density in Regeneration Regeneration occurs in varying forms and depends on the level of urban deterioration; frequency of changing functions and land uses; speculative real estate market; and socioeconomic transformation affected by globalization [1]. Regeneration in Dhaka city adopted the method of ¡°transformation by densification¡± in response to the competitive real estate market; globalization; rising affluent societies; rapid demographic shift; and deterioration of built forms, while Dhaka has shaped as one of the popular destinations for major socioeconomic and administrative development. This triggers pulling effects of population from the peripheral cities and other districts for job; education; health and judicial services; administrative support; and for major urban realm [2, 3]; all these have been pushing Dhaka¡¯s growth limit to the north (Figure 1). Figure 1: Urbanization in 380 years Dhaka [ 10]. Dhaka city¡¯s concentration is a one way demographic shift since reciprocal distribution of population to other districts rarely happens mostly due to other locale being weakly connected by infrastructure and being less attractive for
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/usr/2013/783792/