A Quantitative Evaluation of Urban Green Spaces in Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Abstract

Being a developing country, Bangladesh has faced rapid growth in urbanization in the past few decades. This results in decreasing parks and other green spaces in urban areas. Rajshahi is one of the divisional districts in Bangladesh that is prone to rapid urbanization, though the urbanization rate of Rajshahi is less than the other megacities in Bangladesh. As a result, it is important to preserve the parks in Rajshahi before they are diminished. To assess the quantity and preserve the present urban green infrastructure in Rajshahi, it is necessary to identify and categorize them according to their regional characteristics. This paper aims at evaluating the urban green spaces in Rajshahi and finding out whether the existing urban green spaces are enough to meet the goal of a sustainable city. It is done by analyzing the regional characteristics of urban parks and green spaces located in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, based on GIS data and categorizing them according to their physical size to determine their catchment area. Statistical data and aerial images are processed and simulated through ArcGIS software and correlated with cadastral plans for accurate identification. Explanatory factors regarding UGS loss in a specific region are also investigated using socio-economic, cultural, and geographic in order to find out the reason for UGS change. The resultant data shows that only "6.14 " m2/capita urban open space is available for the urban inhabitants which are insufficient for achieving sustainability goals and should be preserved in order to enhance the liveability of the city.