SUPTM 2024: 2nd Conference on Future Challenges in
Sustainable Urban Planning & Territorial Management
Proceedings
Prospects of integrating publicly accessible urban green space
for enhancing livability of a commercial area: Case study on
Chaktai, Chattogram, Bangladesh
Moumita Roy 1,*, Zereen Tanha 1 and Sarah B. Haque 2
1 Department of Architecture, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET), Chattogram,
Bangladesh. u1506014@[Link] (M.R.); u1506002@[Link] (Z.T.)
2 Department of Architecture, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET), Chattogram,
Bangladesh; arch.sarah026@[Link] (S.B.H.)
* Correspondence: u1506014@[Link]
Abstract: Urban green spaces, such as parks, playing fields and recreational gardens etc are com-
monly regarded as the lungs of a city. However, rapid urbanization and migrations towards cities
in Bangladesh is causing congestion, lack of open spaces leading to high occupancy especially in
commercial areas which is impacting city dwellers' well-being . To understand this situation, Chat-
togram in particular, Chaktai commercial area is identified for further investigation. By analyzing
and surveying, using Non-Participatory Observation and interviews, this study aims to evaluate the
possibility of creating public accessible green spaces in this particular area and put further recom-
mendations to reinvigorate this area into a built environment with better living condition for its
users.
Keywords: Urban commercial area; Accessible green space; Public open space; Livability; Chatto-
gram
Citation: Roy, M.; Tanha, Z.; Haque,
S.B. Prospects of integrating publicly 1. Introduction
accessible green space for enhancing
As known, most of the cities in Bangladesh, especially in Chattogram region, facing
livability of a commercial area: Case
increasing signs of environmental, social, and economic stress. The city, that serves as the
study on Chaktai, Chattaogram,
commercial center and major port of Bangladesh, is rapidly urbanizing, which has caused
Bangladesh. SUPTM 2024 conference
proceedings sciforum-082453.
the loss of some of the city's open spaces as development in the area picks up. Between
[Link]
1989 and 2001, open lands in decreased by 76% as a result of land use shift from open
space, vegetation, and water bodies to urbanized regions [1]. Then from 2001 to 2013 a
further reduction was noted, this time a reduction of these spaces occurred by 72% [1].
Publisher’s Note: UPCT and Scifo-
Asadganj is one of the prominent commercial zones in Chaktai Commercial Area
rum stays neutral with regard to ju-
where the country’s largest wholesale fish market, dry fish market and wholesale markets
risdictional claims in published maps
of rice, lentils, spices, fruits avail. There are some notable industries as well. Based on our
and institutional affiliations.
field study, we have observed that all the previous residential buildings are turning into
mixed-use category with shops and store house in the lower-level floors. Hence, the area
has become extremely congested with migrated people from the sub-urban parts of the
Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. city. Furthermore, no steps have been taken to utilize the existing open space. As a result,
Submitted for possible open access these areas are transforming into illegal settlements and waste disposal sites.
publication under the terms and con- The aim of this research is to analyze the existing conditions of the selected urban
ditions of the Creative Commons At- commercial area and provide some potential guidelines to integrate public accessible
tribution (CC BY) license ([Link] green parks, upgrading the canal front and river walks in order to create a more livable
[Link]/licenses/by/4.0/). built environment; which consists of spaces for social interaction, recreation along with
commercial activities.
SUPTM conference proceedings 2024 [Link] [Link]
SUPTM 2024 conference proceedings: sciforum-082453 2 of 4
2. Research Methodology:
This study is based on both primary and secondary data. A reconnaissance survey
was carried out to gather knowledge on the existing situation of the study area. Infor-
mation on physical parameters such as land use, open space, demographic data, existing
street condition and environmental parameters such as Land Surface Temperature were
collected through the field survey by using secondary resources like GIS (Geographic In-
formation Systems) maps collected from Chittagong Development Authority (CDA). A
Non-Participatory Observation (NPO) approach has been adopted to conduct interviews
on both one-to-one basis and in the form of Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to understand
its user’s feedback towards the space. Based on the findings and understandings of this
literature review, the study finally provides some recommendations and strategies for the
policy makers to enhance the existing situation of the commercial area.
(a) (b)
Figure 1. (a) Location of Asadganj commercial area (Source: CCC); (b) Existing Land-use (Source: Author, 2023)
2.1. Study Area and Predominant land use types
The study has tried to identify a specific area of Chaktai commercial area, Asadganj
which is one of the largest and oldest commercial hub in Chattogram. It serves the needs
of agricultural goods including rice, spices, dry fishes, lentils for the Chattogram city as
well as for rest of the country. It is an area with a high population density where most of
the families live in pucca or semi-pucca houses in almost two to five storied buildings that
are used for residential and commercial purposes.
Table 1. Land use percentage and demographic data of Asadganj. [2]
Types of use % of the study area Demographic Data (Age Group)
Residential 21.75% 60%
Commercial 45.62%
40%
Mixed use 28.60%
Amenities 4.03% 20%
Total Built Area 73% 0%
65+
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-49
50-59
60-64
Total Unbuilt Area 27%
3. Observation and Findings
3.1. Absence of Livability
Lack of community and public access to proper open space is a critical area of concern
for demography in Asadganj. Absence of public spaces hampers economic activity, pol-
lutes the environment and reduces social stability and security. There is presence of few
open spaces which are used by vendors illegally and some of these have become dumping
zones due to lack of proper utilization. As a result, there is no such provision for children
to play or breathing spaces for daily users to get rid of monotony. Usually children are
SUPTM 2024 conference proceedings: sciforum-082453 3 of 4
seen to play in the middle of the roads which is dangerous. There is no defined walk-able
space for pedestrian movement. Street vendors fill up a lot of space on the main road
during the day, which congests the entire area. Additionally, the bridges over the canal
lack a suitable pedestrian facility and are too narrow for vehicle traffic. During the mon-
soon seasons, the roads get clogged due to the appalling drainage system that make the
situation worse.
Furthermore, due to sediment load from natural process of soil erosion, dumping of
municipal & house hold solid waste, illegal encroachment of the bank of Chaktai canal
has lost its original form & natural function of draining water [3]. Due to the unpleasant
odor, it is difficult to live and walk along the canal-front because of the canal's contami-
nated water.
(a) (b) (b)
Figure 2. (a) Situation of Chaktai Canal; (b) Condition of roads during rainy season, (Source: Author, 2023)
3.2. Environmental aspect
Due to unplanned growth of built environment, there is hardly any greeneries and
open spaces left in Asadganj commercial area. Hence, land surface temperature of the area
is increasing at an alarming rate because of urban heat island effect. In addition, dump of
dirt, domestic waste, toxic waste from commercial area on the canal side roads and no
proper waste disposal system resulted in detrimental working environment for workers,
businessmen and inhabitants.
Figure 3. Land Surface Temperature of Asadganj (Chaktai) commercial area , (Source: Author, 2023)
3.3. Public Perception for publicly accessible green space
To investigate the users' perception towards their environment, in total 50 respond-
ents were randomly selected from the area. Among them, 81% respondents expressed
their dissatisfaction with the current situation and 88% people believe that providing
more interactive spaces can enhance the overall living quality of the area.
4. Framework for creating livable urban spaces in Asadganj (Chaktai) area
According to World Health Organizations (WHO), through improved air and water
quality, buffering of noise pollution and mitigation of impacts from extreme events, urban
green spaces can reduce environmental health risks associated with urban living. [4] Re-
search shows that urban forests have temperatures that are on average 2.9°F lower than
unforested urban areas [5]. In addition, they support and facilitate health and well-being
by enabling stress alleviation and relaxation, physical activity, improved social interaction
and community cohesiveness [4]. As a rule of thumb, urban residents should be able to
SUPTM 2024 conference proceedings: sciforum-082453 4 of 4
access public green spaces of at least 0.5–1 hectare within 300 metres linear distance
(around 5 minutes’ walk) of their homes [4].
(a) (b) (c)
Figure 4. (a) Impacts of urban green spaces on health and well-being [4] ; (b) Creating provision for urban public
space; (c) Proposed masterplan of Asadganj Commercial Area, (Source: Author,2023)
Furthermore, according to Bangladesh National Building Code, considering the pro-
jected future population of a Ward, a minimum requirement of 1 m² Ward Open Space
per Ward occupant should be allotted. Where possible such open spaces should be at least
10,000 m² (1 hectare). (Bangladesh National Building Code) [6].
To propose a solution for congested areas like Asadganj, neglected sites such as un-
used spaces that has been turned into dumpyards and existing water-bodies have been
designated for conversion into public parks in order to revitalize their potential and pre-
vent them from becoming dumping grounds. Few informal settlements have been eradi-
cated to make provision for parks. Under the framework, the canal front will also be de-
veloped as a recreational and urban breathing space. Around 10-12 urban parks have been
designed hosting play-fields, planting, seating area and informal playing zone for all age
group.
A green belt has been provided alongside the canal front to save the canal. The pro-
posed master plan will also exert significant impact on the overall built environment qual-
ity of the commercial area. It will help to mitigate the urban heat island effect by providing
shade and reducing temperature during the hot and humid weather.
5. Conclusion
The study determines that high-density areas require a compact park system that
caters to the needs of local urban residents, ensuring livability and urban sustainability.
Through a careful examination of the area's existing infrastructure and a thorough analy-
sis of community needs, this paper has put forth a set of thoughtful suggestions to create
accessible urban open spaces that will undoubtedly contribute to the long-term well-being
of user group by adding quality of life.
Funding: This research received no external funding
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
1. Chisty, K. U. Landslide in Chittagong City: A Perspective on Hill Cutting. Journal of Bangladesh Institute of Planners. 2014, page
83. ISSN 2075-9363
2. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), 2011.
3. Haque, S. B.; Hoque, M. M., Design Approaches to Revitalize a Canal Front: A Case Study along Chaktai commercial area of
Chattogram, Bangladesh. Sustainability for people, FARU, 2018, pp. 183. ISBN 978-955-9027-74-4
4. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. Urban green spaces: a brief for action. 2017, pp. 6-11.
5. Knight, T.; Price, S.; Bowler, D. et al. How effective is ‘greening’ of urban areas in reducing human exposure to ground-level
ozone concentrations, UV exposure and the ‘urban heat island effect’? An updated systematic review. Environ Evid, 2021,
[Link]
6. Bangladesh National Building Code, 2020, pp. 197.
