VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York
Abstract
Walkability and street connectivity is an essential aspects for assessing urban sustainability in terms of making a city livable. Dhaka city is home to all sorts of businesses and, opportunities. It is the city of millions, where numerous business centers and offices have mushroomed over the years. There are increased concerns that rapid urbanization and migration of people seeking for work in the capital turn out to be making the streets less walkable. The study aims to evaluate the evolution of the rapid urbanization of the city of Dhaka, and its relationship with street connectivity, and accessibility using the walkability index, and space syntax. The walkability index has been implemented to measure the three aspects of land-use-mix, dwelling density, access to public transport, and Space Syntax analysis was used to interpret street connectivity with the Depth map program. In this study, Dhaka’s major road network is taken into consideration which connects the major commercial areas as well, where the stations of Motijheel, Farmgate, and Uttara north of the mass rapid transit (MRT) line 06 are taken as cases to assess the street connectivity patterns influencing walkability in the context of rapid urban expansion of the neighborhood. The findings suggest that there could be additional factors besides connectivity that might make public transits more accessible, and these elements are the availability of supporting amenities and the proximity of the land use mix, and the dwelling density of the activity center. There is a significant association between walkability and street connectivity, therefore, it should be considered to develop a livable city. Thus, it is crucial to promote a walkable neighborhood where the inhabitants of a city are offered a sustainable walking environment.
Emmat Ara Khanam Ema – Lecturer. Emmat is full-time Lecturer at the Department of Architecture, BRAC University from July 2021, before which she served as a teaching assistant from July 2018 at the same. After completing her B. Arch. with the highest CGPA from Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST), she started her career at a reputed architectural firm in Dhaka. In addition to teaching and practicing architecture, currently, she is pursuing M. Arch. at BUET. She has active participation in various voluntary works and team management.
Nushrat E Hoque – Lecturer. Nushrat is a full-time Lecturer at the Department of Architecture, American International University- Bangladesh (AIUB) from September 2017 till date. After completing her B. Arch. from AIUB she started her career at Kashef Mahbub Architects in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In addition to teaching and practicing architecture, currently, she is pursuing M. Arch. at BUET. She has active participation in various voluntary works and team management. Her research interests include housing, built environment, and sustainability.