REVIVING AN OLD CPD BY INTRODUCING A MASS RAPID TRANSIT STATION. A CASE FROM DHAKA

Abstract

Bangladesh, once considered the Least Developed Country (LDC), became elevated to lower-middle income status in 2015. Dhaka is the capital of the country and central economic hub, ranked the sixth most populous city in the World, with a density of 23,234 people per square kilometer (Dhaka, Tribune, 2022). An influx of migrant people from different districts makes Dhaka a sprawling urban junction. Traffic congestion, air pollution, fire incidents, and other urban chaos are unbearable daily facts. Studies by Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) identified that adaptation of Transport Oriented Develop is essential to increase accessibility and to offer redevelopment opportunities around the station node. Mass Rapid Transit, one of the choices of TOD, was first conceived in 2005 in the Strategic Transport Plan for Dhaka, and the construction started in 2012. The initial route, MRT-6, will connect several residential and Central Business Districts areas like Motizeel. However, due to unmanaged traffic and unplanned mixed-used development, once vibrant CBD has lost its potential for commercial activities. This research will investigate the choice of Rail-based MRT for Dhaka and the additional improvement of spatial attributes (density, land use diversity, and pedestrian-friendly design)  that will contribute to reviving the study station at Motizeel.

Keywords: TOD, Urban form, Mass Rapid Transport (MRT), Pedestrian