‘An Outline Strategy for Old Dhaka Redevelopment’ in Sustainable Living Urban Model (S.L.U.M): Asian Mode, Edn.7 Spring 2012,pp.76-77. An Outline Strategy for Old Dhaka Redevelopment Qazi Azizul Mowla * Abstract Apparently appalled by the deplorable state of Old Dhaka, people asserted for its redevelopment. Contemporary planning practice and the context in which old Dhaka has evolved are at odds with each other. The study attempts to find an appropriate strategy which will take care of the context and improve the living environment of old Dhaka. Keywords: Redevelopment; Tradition; Integration; Lost Space; Urban Morphology. Introduction Due to the deplorable condition of Old Dhaka, general feeling is in favour of its redevelopment to improve the living environment. The more common indigenous pattern reflects uncontrolled growth, with mixed land use and smaller but numerous foci of activity. Contemporary planning practices (based on western notion) are at odds with the traditional concepts of territoriality, privacy and communality to the detriment of Dhaka’s urban environment. Study Area in the Bangladesh Context DHAKA city Study Area BANGLADESH Conceptual presentation of Dhaka’s evolution from indigenous to colonial Typology Figure-01: Dhaka’s Location and its conceptual evolution from indigenous to colonial Typology. Physical language and idioms gradually transform to accommodate social changes brought about by stimuli external to community. In the post-Mughal phase, especially during the English rule, stimuli were too intense for easy assimilation into the host culture and were socially disruptive (Doshi, 1995). Building by-laws developed out of those concepts has left indigenous/traditional areas out of the planning framework. Any redevelopment strategy for old Dhaka must recognize both physical and social structure as a complementary issue, as they together has manifested in a unique spatial pattern. * Professor, Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka-1000, BANGLADESH. E-mail: qmowla@yahoo.co.uk