Planning and Development of Dhaka – a Story of 400 Years

This paper provides an overview of urban structure and the planning history of Dhaka. Human settlement in Dhaka can be traced back as far as the 12th century, but it was the Mughals who for strategic reasons established a town in the early seventeenth century. Since then the city has experienced an adventurous path under different rulers and has faced multifaceted challenges. Starting as a military outpost, Dhaka has served as a business centre, trading hub, regional capital, provincial capital and now as the primate city of a nation with 16million inhabitants. While travelling through a political rollercoaster, the planning history of Dhaka is characterised by a variety of philosophical views all of which have left a spatial imprint on this historical city. The paper traces these different planning trajectories, examines their spatial impact and focuses on the current situation of Dhaka – one characterised by high densities and overcrowding, environmental degradation, severe traffic congestion and haphazard planning. Our analysis has a focus on growth and changes in urban structure over time. It particularly emphasises the spatial distribution of economic activities in Dhaka, and investigates the forces behind it. We also examine the role of different plans in accounting for the current form of the city. Geographical limitations appear to play a major role in the current urban pattern of Dhaka. There is wide heterogeneity in its urban form as different parts of Dhaka were developed over different centuries for different purposes. We investigate the harmony amongst different parts of the city to reveal dynamics among land uses and to present some guidelines for sustainable urban growth.