SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE FIRST MASS RAPID TRANSIT (MRT) IN DHAKA

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has a metropolitan area density of 23,234  per square kilometer (Review, 2020), and it is considered one of the most densely populated megacities in the world. The city contributes 35% to the national economic growth of GDP. However, in this rapidly growing city, the transport management authority has an enormous lack of coordination to adopt; thus, the massive traffic congestion is one of the significant challenges. In 2015, Dhaka's average traffic speed was 6.8 Km/h (RSTP, 2015). According to the BRTA (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority), there are 1.74 million registered motorized vehicles in Dhaka, yet the city is acutely short of the road- space. Population growth trends of 3.8%-4.2%, creating numerous urban problems, have led to Dhaka as one of the ten least liveable cities globally (EUI, August 2016). Globally, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is widely used as an urban planning tool to maximize transit benefits. Mass Rapid Transport (MRT), as one of the modes of TOD, offers high-density development around stations to combat urban sprawl and socio-economic changes, reduced motorized vehicles, balanced urban growth, and pedestrian facility to enrich the quality of life. A study by Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) identified implanting Transport Oriented Development (TOD) to become a sustainable city is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, and as a UN member country, it is vital for Bangladesh. However, the socio-economic impact of the Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) System is yet to be realized in Dhaka, where most of the development policies are biased by political and donor agendas. This study will investigate the socio-economic impact of the first MRT-6 in Dhaka. The paper concentrate on a Mirpur with three transit stations as the case study. Keywords: TOD, Urban form, Mass Rapid Transport (MRT)Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has a metropolitan area density of 23,234  per square kilometer (Review, 2020), and it is considered one of the most densely populated megacities in the world. The city contributes 35% to the national economic growth of GDP. However, in this rapidly growing city, the transport management authority has an enormous lack of coordination to adopt; thus, the massive traffic congestion is one of the significant challenges. In 2015, Dhaka's average traffic speed was 6.8 Km/h (RSTP, 2015). According to the BRTA (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority), there are 1.74 million registered motorized vehicles in Dhaka, yet the city is acutely short of the road- space. Population growth trends of 3.8%-4.2%, creating numerous urban problems, have led to Dhaka as one of the ten least liveable cities globally (EUI, August 2016). Globally, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is widely used as an urban planning tool to maximize transit benefits. Mass Rapid Transport (MRT), as one of the modes of TOD, offers high-density development around stations to combat urban sprawl and socio-economic changes, reduced motorized vehicles, balanced urban growth, and pedestrian facility to enrich the quality of life. A study by Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) identified implanting Transport Oriented Development (TOD) to become a sustainable city is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, and as a UN member country, it is vital for Bangladesh. However, the socio-economic impact of the Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) System is yet to be realized in Dhaka, where most of the development policies are biased by political and donor agendas. This study will investigate the socio-economic impact of the first MRT-6 in Dhaka. The paper concentrate on a Mirpur with three transit stations as the case study. Keywords: TOD, Urban form, Mass Rapid Transport (MRT)Peer Reviewe

XIV Seminario Internacional de Investigación en Urbanismo. ACTAS

La presente publicación recoge los resúmenes de todas las ponencias presentadas oralmente en la decimocuarta edición del Seminario Internacional de Investigación en Urbanismo (SIIU), celebrada en la Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) y presentadas durante los días 16 y 17 de junio de 2022. El Seminario Internacional de Investigación en Urbanismo tuvo su origen en el año 2007, como iniciativa de un grupo de profesores y doctorandos del Departamento de Urbanismo y Ordenación del Territorio de la Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya. Este seminario, originalmente interno y dirigido a investigadores en formación, pretendía ser un espacio de encuentro anual de los doctorandos del programa para debatir y recibir feedback sobre sus trabajos. Su condición pionera, como espacio de reflexión en torno a temas sobre la ciudad, el territorio y el paisaje en el ámbito hispanoamericano, provocó que muy pronto excediera el ámbito local y se transformara en un espacio de interés internacional. Por esta razón, a partir de la quinta edición, celebrada en 2013, se realiza cada año de manera conjunta entre la sede de Barcelona (Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña) y una sede latinoamericana. Hasta ahora han sido sede del SIIU en América, al otro lado del Atlántico: Buenos Aires, Córdoba (Argentina), Santiago de Chile, Bogotá, São Paulo, Camboriú y Curitiba. Asimismo, a partir del año 2020, el gran interés que estaba generando de este lado del Atlántico impulsa su realización en universidades de la Península Ibérica en conjunto con la UPC. De esta manera, Lisboa fue ese año la sede que, en colaboración con Barcelona, acogió el seminario, con el fin de responder al gran interés que éste tiene en el ámbito lusitano. Y en junio de 2022, Madrid ha sido la sede del seminario en España, con la voluntad de estrechar lazos entre dos de las escuelas de arquitectura más importantes del país, y compartir experiencias y miradas sobre los temas relacionados con el urbanismo. Del otro lado del Atlántico, Curitiba fue la sede latinoamericana que, con gran éxito, celebró la segunda parte del evento en la semana siguiente al evento de Madrid