City planners, environ experts suggest proper DAP execution

City planners, environmentalists and experts at a discussion on Sunday suggested proper implementation of the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) to build an inclusive and equitable Dhaka for future generations.
The urgency came at the discussion on the initiatives to revise the Dhaka's DAP. The event was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), Institute of Wellbeing Bangladesh (IWB), and Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust (WBB Trust). WBB Trust Director Gauss Peary chaired the discussion, said a press release.
The speakers said Dhaka currently ranks 166th out of 173 cities in the Global Liveability Index, placing it among the least livable cities globally, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). With a commitment to improving living conditions in Dhaka, the DAP had been approved by the past governments, but it was never implemented.
The plan addresses various issues, including reducing private car dependency by enhancing pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, establishing a green and blue network, creating fields and parks for recreation, converting roads into public spaces, and improving the housing industry.
Proper implementation of the DAP is crucial to developing a sustainable, inclusive and equitable Dhaka, said the experts at the discussion.
BIP President Adil Muhammad Khan said the width of roads in residential areas plays a significant role in determining the carrying capacity of people, vehicles, and traffic management.
From an urban planning perspective, the size and area of buildings on a plot should not solely depend on the width of adjacent roads. Instead, it is essential to consider planning-related infrastructure and civic amenities, including road networks, service infrastructure, schools, hospitals, markets, open spaces, playgrounds, parks, gardens, water bodies, and reservoirs.
He also said population density should be a guiding factor in determining the number of families or individuals accommodated in each plot.
As part of the initiative to amend Dhaka's DAP, immediate steps must be taken to properly regulate and implement policies for the housing industry, he added.
Unregulated expansion of the housing industry, along with unplanned constructions and encroachments on playgrounds, parks, rivers, and canals, is causing severe physical and mental harm to residents, the experts opined in the programme.
If illegal housing projects continue unchecked in the capital, it may become entirely unlivable in the near future.
The DAP prioritises the construction of 202-km cycle lanes, benefiting cyclists and promoting non-motorised transport.
The majority of public buildings and spaces in Dhaka are not disability-friendly, which must be addressed during the DAP implementation to ensure inclusivity.
The plan also advocates for area-based equal-quality schools, new hospitals, and enhancement of the existing healthcare facilities.
The construction of new parks and playgrounds, along with improvement of the existing ones, is essential to ensure accessibility for all citizens, they added.

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