| Write up from the Project submission |

The mega city Dhaka is growing rapidly, but its rather focused on quantitative growth than on qualitative aspects in terms of physical urban environment. However, it needs to be reviewed and improve the quality of the physical urban environment. Several projects are already underway as people’s interest in improving the quality and pleasantness of urban environment is rising these days.

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Our development pace in the city areas is really high. Dhaka  is a growing city with only 0.006 hector land per capita. With this shortage of land and resources, we need to go through a collective process of development. We should share space, share resources. Whereas the planning, resource allocation, land division going for more and more nanoscale. Plots are divided as private property. Where rules and regulations bind us to use only somewhere around 50% percent of owned land. But the leftover space is almost of no use or better to say no utilization. It is causing many social and urban problems such as bad work environment for the employees , traffic jam, lack of recreational facilities, unplanned temporary structure etc. it’s the worst scenario in the business areas such as Motijheel or some parts of Karwanbazar.

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Central Business District is the commercial and business center of a city. In larger cities, it is often synonymous with the city’s “financial district”. A city’s CBD is usually typified by a concentration of retail and office buildings. The CBD usually has an urban density higher than the surrounding districts of the city and is often the location of the tallest buildings in the city.

Through a methodological study of the CBDs of Dhaka (such as Motijheel or Karwanbajar), some basic problems can be identified. Incompatible co-existence of the office building and pedestrian facilities, on street trading all these resulting in traffic congestion, lack of sufficient parking, illegal occupancy, noise from the roadway. Again, the absence of recreational area, adequate food shop turns these CBDs into a place which one wants to leave as early as possible. Whereas a CBD amongst all the developments in a city has the highest scope to contribute to the urban realm.

So the question arises, how the diverse contextual possibilities of urban facilities can be integrated within a rapidly growing central business district ?

Consideration and process

What is trading and what are the voids ?

Trade, or commerce, involves the transfer of the ownership of goods or services, from one person or entity to another, in exchange for remuneration, goods or services.

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Here trading refers to the exchange of open spaces between public and private ownership for better utilization. Public owned open spaces consist of i) roads ii) footpaths etc while private owned open spaces consist of i) mandatory open spaces ii) setbacks for buildings. The exchange of such open spaces facilitates both private and public sectors by ensuring proper  distribution of open spaces in both sectors.

Uttara 3rd phase is a highly anticipated and one of the most ambitious projects of the government. And it is a project of high concern of our country. It includes a 40 acre CBD in the center. It is where the work of metro rail is going to start from. So in near future, it will be a really well-connected place of the capital.

Several possible arrangements of plots are determined. The optimum plot arrangement to be derived by doing a comparative analysis on the basis of factors like,

– Road optimization

– The amount of open space

– Visual connectivity of the open spaces

– Mass movement

– Wind flow etc.

Here it is observed that in a smaller plot arrangement the most connected open spaces are in between two buildings which are mostly unutilized or remain unused. In terms of human usage and the wind flow it performs very poor. So this is clearly a bad arrangement. But, when we gradually increase the plot size and break the gridiron pattern we get good results in connectivity and wind flow as well. The well-connected patches are more on the front sides of the structures rather than the spaces in-between the buildings. Moreover, the in-between building open spaces are minimized in a high rate.

We may come to a realization that, The open spaces are just right there, just haven’t been noticed yet.

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Decisions and added values

From the analysis, it is concluded to some general decisions for Central Business Districts of future.

• Maximum Size of a CBD should be 50 acres
• Minimum Plot size 2500sqm
• Minimum Road network is appreciated and it shouldn’t exceed 20% of the total site.
• The vehicular and pedestrian access to the site should be in different axis
• The plots in the same ribbon should be accessed from the same edge, the alternative edge should remain for uninterrupted pedestrian movement and can be used as a commercial interface such as shaded shopping lanes.

It s proposed that there will be a Central Business District Management Authority (CBDMA), which will be liable for quality maintenance of all these open spaces and they will enjoy the revenue produced from these spaces as well. The function of this central body may vary with the context. It will be a commercial entity itself.

Possible Programs

• Hotel
• Market
• Amusement etc

It may not require any structure also and the programs can be replaced by some activities. This will enhance the open space quality.

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Site Specific Development

These decisions are applied to the site with some basic site-specific considerations keeping in mind. Like, reviving the water edge, creating a central zone followed by a central spine. In that purpose, the basic function of CBDMA is considered as a marketplace and cinema complex which will equally generate economy and maintain the total open space. The mass is lifted up with arch structures creating a visually connected open space.

but when we run the human agent analysis we see a crowding at the central zone. So an interruption in the movement creating a restful recess place at the center. This leads to a possible master plan of the whole CBD which ensures the total required built area but still adds some values, unlike the previous situation.

Functional Values

The Road network is minimized to about 50% and the canceled road alongside the lake allowing the water transit to be utilized properly. below the central mass, a central parking can be accommodated which may serve 24 hours need and many guest parking.

Social Values

Different interaction points can be created for social exchange. The huge uninterrupted pedestrian movement allows casual movement for social interaction. Beside social welfare for the underprivileged can be assured by many employment opportunities.

Economic Values

Overall the quality environment creating a huge economic rise to the spaces beside many shopping lanes and 24 hours open portion generating economy.

Environmental Values

Five types of environmental steps should be taken.

1 _ Island : a Continuous island with shading and fruiting trees.

2 _ Chunk of green : Huge 25to30 feet wide green chunks contributing to soakable ground and remains as a contained green space.

3 _ Perforated Plaza: Pedestrian plaza perforated contributing to soakable ground.

4 _ Aquatic vegetation : Sunken vegetation along the central spine with a rich CO2 sink and dust catcher shrub family.

5 _ Water edge: Bangladeshi natural water edge can be revived with the indigenous plant community.

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