Impact Analysis of Urban Street Edges of Residential Area in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Streets function both as circulation area for vehicles and vital public space for city people. Street edge is a crucial feature that create the character of the street. In urban residential area, usually boundary element creates the edge of its adjoining streets. If the formation of boundary element integrates with its surroundings properly, it will establish coherence with public and private space, which can enhance one’s urban experience. Dhaka, the bustling metropolis of Bangladesh, is undergoing rapid expansion in residential sector, which is mainly concentrating on individual architectural structures, instead of taking into account the entire urban region as an integrated entity. In most cases, it has been observed that individual buildings are ignoring the outer public environment by constructing solid boundary walls. This type of solid boundary element entirely separates the public and private space that creates negative impact on street environment. Hence, the primary purpose of this research is to investigate the present condition of street edges in Dhaka’s urban residential areas, as well as to assess the influence of various forms of street edges on their adjacent spaces. Therefore, a small segment of Dhanmondi residential area in Dhaka has been selected as survey area. This study was mainly based on field survey and observation. Sources of secondary data were journals, books, information from websites and so on. It is found that, street edges which are physically and visually permeable make positive impact on dwellers and commuters