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Study of Environment-Behaviour to Examine Intervention Impact at the Lakefront Landscape and Neighbourhood Residents’ Response at Dhanmondi, Dhaka

Akmal Hakim

Abstract


Professional interventions at the neighbourhood lakefront environments often produce superficially pleasant environment, brushing aside the place perception and place attachment of the neighbourhood residents. This research principally aimed to grasp a holistic apprehension of such an intervention entitled as ‘Dhanmondi lake redevelopment project’, initiated in 1998 by the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), Bangladesh. An in-depth investigation revealed the gap between the designer’s objective in transforming the waterfront environment and end-user’s place perception, place attachment and behavioural response towards it. Environment-behaviour study (EBS) method is used in this research, exploring the theories of ‘identity’ in association with ‘place’. Qualitative and quantitative research methods have been applied conjointly for data analysis. For the purpose of this case study, the lakefront is divided into five distinct zones. 150 residents were interviewed from which a sample of 30 senior residents, comprising of 6 from each of the 5 Zones, have been selected randomly for questionnaire survey. The ‘mean value’ for the three independent variables for ‘local identity’ reflected marked difference in the two environmental conditions. The ‘t-Test’ conducted ratified the significance of variation for one of these variable conditions. Moreover, results of the research revealed that two independent variables of the four determinants elaborated in the ‘Identity Process Theory’, had impact on perception of place identity across residents. The redevelopment has disrupted the ‘sense of place’ and ‘identity’ of the neighbourhood residents. This research suggested a holistic perception of change in neighbourhood landscape sustainable for the community.

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