The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhya (RAJUK) has identified two metro rail stations across three corridors within the city for transit-oriented development (TOD), an innovative urban planning approach that fosters the creation of diverse private and public buildings centred around station areas.
According to sources, the Uttara central station of Mass Rapid Transit Line 6 (MRT-6) and Gabtoli station of the MRT-5 and MRT-2 have been selected for TOD, as it encourages the growth of urban infrastructure within convenient walking distance of public transportation.
RAJUK, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is currently engaged in crafting TOD guidelines. The JICA consultant team, under the leadership of Nippon Koei, is involved in formulating these guidelines for RAJUK.
The RAJUK and JICA project team recently shared the general framework of TOD in Dhaka, the basic process and content of planning, and the implementation methods with the stakeholders at a seminar.
The seminar was initiated to raise awareness about the progress and future direction of TOD guidelines and pilot projects.
The stakeholders included relevant ministries, government agencies, development partners, and academia, including the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL), Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Bangladesh Railway, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Dhaka BRT Company Ltd, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Asian Development Bank and Agence Francaise de Development.
The participation also highlighted the essential role of mutual understanding and collaboration in the success of TOD initiatives, according to the JICA press release.
Housing and Public Works Secretary Kazi Wasi Uddin, RAJUK Chairman M Anisur Rahman Miah and JICA Chief Representative to Bangladesh Ichiguchi Tomohide attended the ceremony and shared their observations.
Although TOD is a new concept in the country, it is popular in different cities where city development is centred within walking distance of metro rail stations. According to officials, the RAJUK guideline for TOD has been prepared within a 500-metre radius of the stations.
According to a consultant, landowners in the TOD area are allowed to develop residential, commercial, government official buildings, educational institutes and hospitals within the TOD areas following the guidelines and policy.
Based on TOD practices around the world, the TOD policy guides the urban planning authority to mathematically calculate the needs for various structures within the TOD areas, while also allowing for special benefits such as tax rebates, floor spaces and multi-story facilities compared to other areas of the city.
The basic concept of TOD is to select an area that discourages the use of private cars within the TOD areas.
Sources said that under the RAJUK project, the JICA consultants will also design the TOD areas to pilot the concept, but the landowners will follow the design.
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