Urbanization is one of the 21st century’s most transformative trends. Cities are the dominant force in sustainable economic growth, development and prosperity in both developed and developing countries. In developing countries, urbanization is taking place at a rapid pace. Currently 54% of the world’s population (4 billion people) resides in urban areas. By 2030, 2 billion people will have migrated to cities, placing unprecedented pressure on infrastructure and resources, particularly those related to water, soil etc. Roof-top gardening is a very unique and beautiful concept in this urban life.
This means that home owners will probably use less insulation on their roofs when they build and they will also use less energy to both heat and cool their homes. Studies have shown that roof-top garden can reduce cooling costs by 25 per cent during the summer months alone. Green roofs are energy-efficient, reduce heat instability and less energy for cooling or heating can lead to significant cost savings. Roof-top gardening also burns fewer crude oil that is fewer greenhouse gases, which is great for everyone. In Dhaka city, there are 6,000 rooftop gardens. To encourage people to set up such gardens, the two Dhaka city corporations may take a decision to reduce holding tax if any family goes for rooftop gardening.
The many benefits of rooftop gardens in urban zone to public, private, economic and social sectors, as well as to the global environment are really inclusive and sustainable. Eco-friendly rooftop garden can generate oxygen which is an excellent way to ensure sustainable cities and communities. Integration of city corporations, community peoples and agricultural extension network make a platform to transform organic materials from solid waste to inject in roof-top gardening in Dhaka. We may plan to manufacture organic fertilizer to use in urban roof-top gardening with degradable materials from household garbage, industrial wastes.
Although Bangladesh is making some efforts to resolve some of urban environmental crises, no efforts will be adequate to face these challenges without identifying the underlying causes nationally and addressing them locally. To make our cities livable, we need a great push from within the government. Decentralization of power, empowerment of local governments and the establishment of more city councils could be some good first steps. In order for Bangladesh to truly become a developed country, our urban centers would need to be transformed into global cities by 2041. That will require more research and effort to discover a sustainable urban planning strategy that would best suit our cities and communities.
This principle of intelligent urbanism states there is a level of human habitation intensity wherein the resources that are consumed will be replaced through the replenishing natural cycles of the seasons, creating environmental equilibrium. Intelligent urbanism induced opportunities are in urban area: primary education, skill development; primary health care, potable water security, solid waste disposal and hygiene; urban facilities like storm drainage, street lights, roads and footpaths; recreation and entertainment; Transport, energy, communications; public participation; Finance and investment mechanisms; urban open space where goods and services can be produced; and rudimentary economic infrastructure.
If we search for sustainable urbanization through intelligent urbanism theory, we have to address disparities between rich and poor, insecurity and social unrest, diversion of resources to safety and security and inability to cope with demand for services. In urban area of Bangladesh, people are so much insecure to access drinking water, electricity, gas lines, clay, cables and drainage water road, beggar free footpath. As we are targeting for middle income country by 2021, greening the transportation system, ecological hazards free high-rise buildings, co-ordination among RAJUK, DCC, WASA; polluters-pay industrial system, context demands to employ theory of intelligent urbanism.
The planetary crises both for rural and urban area are uprising day by day due to global warming and climate change. The world urbanism day demands the nexus among environmental security, heritage conservation, mass people oriented appropriate technology, infrastructure-efficiency, time-oriented land use planning, social security access, transit-oriented development, decentralisation, public participation, regional integration, human to humane development and institutional integrity for good looking sustainable cities and communities.
Bangladesh is on the way of middle income country. Time offers to value the people’s development or collective wellbeing. In this context, the concept of nudge by behavioral change is essential to address environmental, social and climatic crises urban area. It can be such a ways – contemplation (aware and behaviour towards the problems), preparation (intends to take action), actions (practices to desired behavior), maintenance (works to sustain the behavior change).
(Shishir Reza is an Environmental analyst and Associate Member of Bangladesh Economic Association. Motiur Rahman is a Research Consultant, Human Development Research Centre)
