User:Motaleb13/sandbox

1.1 Introduction

Rangpur is one of the newly established City Corporations of the country. Apart from the status of a City Corporation it is the administrative headquarters of the Rangpur Division comprising the old greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts. The attractive central location and the seat of an age old administrative centre dating back to the early days of British rule, Rangpur has the potential to develop not only as an administrative centre but also as an economically vibrant area housing substantial urban population of the country (Map 1.1 shows the location of Rangpur City in the national context).

1.2	Project Background

At the time of upgrading the Rangpur paurashava area into a City Corporation, the jurisdiction of the city has been extended from 41.18 sq. km. to about 205 sq. km. But the city does not have a physical development plan to guide its urbanization in to the desired direction. In the eighties of the last century a package of plans in the form of Structure Plan and Action Plan was prepared with UNDP assistance under the auspices of Urban Development Directorate. The plan package was prepared for the area of the then jurisdiction of the Rangpur paurashava. The plan never became a tool for the promotion of development and development control of the paurashava area as it was not legalized through enactment. In the absence of an effective and legally supported Plan Rangpur like most of the age old cities continued to develop with narrow roads and very limited urban facilities.

In this situation it has become imperative to prepare physical development plan for its orderly development. The up gradation of the paurashava into a City Corporation and as the HQs of Rangpur Division, the city cannot afford to continue the trend of ‘free for all’ type of physical development. Moreover, without a plan it has become increasingly difficult to spend government allocation or development partners’ assistance for effective infrastructure development and utility provisions. In this backdrop Local Government Engineering Department has taken the initiative of preparing a Master Plan Package comprising Structure Plan, Urban Area Plan and Detailed Area Plan for Rangpur Divisional Town which soon was up graded to the status of a City Corporation.

1.3 Vision & Objectives of the Plan

Ever since the independence of Bangladesh the country is experiencing high urbanization pressure. During 1974-2001 period growth of urban population increased from 8 percent to 23 percent. Sixth Five Year Plan envisages that by 2015 about 33 percent of the total population of the country will live in urban areas. Being the fourth largest city in terms of population Rangpur has to face enhanced challenges in providing urban services for all its citizens. The Sixth Five Year Plan emphasizes on the effective functioning of the Cities through planning, establishing good governance, resource mobilization and enhancing scheme implementation capacity to meet the urban challenge and ensure proper delivery of all urban services. The cities of the country should be served by effective road