26. Sustainable urban community development

 Lead Papers

Dr. Grigori Abramia,Shawkat Ali and Ayesha Akhter and Md. Hasibur Rahman, Dr. Brad Bass and Roger Hansell and Glenda Poole, Vincenzo Bentivegna, Louise Dunne and Frank Convery, Dr. Tee L. Guidotti, Mikylas Huba, ANITA KON,Beverly A. Paul, Logan Perkins, Irina Proshkina, Md. Hasibur Rahman, Dr. Richard C. Rich, BAHIRWA AMOS RUHONGORE,Dr. Rajasundram Sathiendrakumar, Helene Savard, Usha Sekhar and Anil Agarwal, Yuri Skochilov, Dr. Andrej Steiner, Ernest Teye-Topey, Valentin Yemelin and Marilyn Mehlmann

Shawkat Ali, Ayesha Akhter and Md. Hasibur Rahman have described an urban community problem found in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated country of the world. About 130 million people are living in a limited geographic boundary i.e. 147570 sq. km. and the growing rate of population is about 2.17 per cent. Average population density is about 900 per square kilometer. Dhaka is one of the most densely populated cities of the country. Increases of population creating unemployment, more food demand and shelter demand. Day by day rural people are coming to the city for searching income sources. The land less farmers, low-income people who don't have any shelter in rural area are gathering in the Dhaka City and Chittagong City are creating slums in the government's abundant / un-used land and also at private lowland area. A huge number of slum are increasing in the urban area of Bangladesh and adversely impacting on environment and social health. Though slums are not expected in the urban area but they are increasing in every year and the slum dwellers are involved in urban social activities, some times they play a positive role by working in garments and other industrial sector. But, the slum dwellers are always depriving from the minimum civic facilities. It is fact that presence of large number of slum dwellers in the urban area has already been created stress on far beyond the healthy urban capacity and the citizens minimum facility specially in the Dhaka city, thus impacting several social problems. Rural people who are not the victimized of different natural calamities such as cyclone, flood, river erosion and social injustice are causing to migrate them to different city just for quest of livelihood. So it is needful to give due attention from every corners to the slum dwellers and their rehabilitation to implement a healthy environment friendly planned society. 1. Introduction Environmental pollution means disturbance of natural resources such as air, water pollution and soil degradation that adversely impacts on environment and socio-economic structure. Environment includes Urban Environment, Rural Environment, Economic Environment, Social Environment etc. Environments of the convenient residential area and the environment of the slums area is completely vis-a-vis scenario exists in Bangladesh. Adverse effects of slum are mostly impacting the two densely populated cities specially Dhaka and Chittagong of Bangladesh. Low-income generating slum dwellers are living in hand to mouth, most of them are day labor. Such situation needs to be eliminated as soon as possible for the well being of the country. It is important to give attention to environment of the slums, health and sanitation, source of drinking water, population control, working class and per capita income, education etc. Most of the slums are created in lowland area and easily get inundated by the medium to heavy rainfall. Very unhygienic condition prevails in slum area and most of the people specially their children’s always suffer from different diseases. Municipal facilities is quite absent in slum area so, sanitation condition is very poor and insufficient. There is absent of legal electric power supply or gas line connection and fresh water supply, almost all civic facilities are absent in the slums. Most of the slum dwellers are rickshaw puller, day laborer, autorickshaw drivers, gatekeeper, factory worker etc. and most of the female workers are housemaids and a significant part of young girls are garment workers.

Bass,  Hansell and  Poole have shown that by increasing vegetation in urban areas will reduce the urban heat island, and the impacts of other urban environmental problems, which will be exacerbated under climate change. Reducing the urban heat island will also reduce the energy demand for space conditioning, and hence greenhouse gas emissions. Plants directly reduce the urban heat island through evaporative cooling but further reduce energy consumption through shading. The most common strategy to increase urban vegetation is to plant trees at ground level. However, where space is not available for trees, vegetation can be grown on building roofs, but walls offer far more space, hence vertical gardening is a viable alternative.

 The 1995 New Land Planning Act of Tuscany is one of the most advanced act in Europe (Bentivegna). According to this new law all choices in Tuscany land planning activity must pursuit these goals: sustainable development, transparency in decision process, citizens participation, integration among space organizations and time in life and job. Sustainable development is intended as the development which assures equal possibilities of welfare increasing for all citizens and safeguard the next generations right in the use of land resources.

There is a need to facilitate communication among all people in an urban community site and provide them with adequate information about a sustainable urban community development. Indicators and indices must be made available and easily translated by the users for implementation  at the site. There has to be good communications between the scientific and technical people and the users. Potential users are:

• City planners 

• Most people in an urban community, the public

• Government officials

• Regulatory and Judiciary Agencies

• Scientists and engineers

• Special interest groups

The appropriate data will be examined when specific issues arise. By adding the predictive capability of indicators we have given everyone a sound tool in the development of an urban community.

It is important to explore the extent to which the quality of the urban environment influences health, personality, well-being, and behavior.

An indicator of sustainable urban community development is the open urban areas in parks and playgrounds as a per cent of total urban area. An important aspect of community living is the accessibility of outdoor leisure space within the community. It also reflects the suitability of a community as an environment for raising children.
 

A Sustainable Home and Community Development will include the following parts:

* Health care system,     * Educational system,     * Seniors'care,     * Food chain, nutrition,     * Population growth,     * Farming communities,     * Parks,     * Psychological, biological, genetics and evolution,     * Spiritual pathways,     * Entertainment,     * Quality of life, customs and beliefs, information access, communication, aesthetics,     * Decent housing, suitable community services,     * Pollution, waste,     * An atmosphere of social justice,     * Family stability,     * Religion,     * Infrastructures and facilities, land planning,     * Juvenile crimes, gangs, drugs, illiteracy,     * Socio-cultural and political influences, multi-culturalism, laws,     * Anthropological, Aboriginals, Natives    *Social, economic and spiritual well-being

Essential elements of an adequate urban and rural development:

• Suitable community facilities and services
• Decent housing and health care
• Personal security from crime
• Educational and cultural opportunities
• Family stability
• Efficient and safe transportation
• Land planning
• An atmosphere of social justice
• Aesthetic satisfaction
• Responsive government subject to community participation in decision-making
• Energy conservation and energy efficiency are part of the decision-making process and made part of the community design
• The application of the 4 Rs is integrated in the community design
• Community businesses, working areas, play areas, social and cultural areas, education areas, and training areas
• The use of renewable energy sources, central heating where possible, and cogeneration of electricity are made part of the community design when possible
• The form of community development integrates concepts such as cooperation, trust, interdependence, stewardship, and mutual responsibility
• Promote self-sufficiency in all areas such as energy, garbage, food and sewage disposal
• Rely on locally-produced goods