Whose interest finally counts? The statutory production of urban space at the fringes of Dhaka,Bangladesh

Abstract

In this article, we build our theoretical arguments on an empirical account of a state-implemented housing project in the periphery of Dhaka. Thus, we elaborate on a set of bureaucratic acts, the existing power relations, and group interests that influence planning practices and condition people’s access to public resources. Analyzing the process of project implementation, we explain the various resources and strategies that those in relatively powerful positions activate in order to considerably influence planning practice and public resource distribution. We specifically analyze how the strategies and discourses employed to bring the project forward influence the emerging spatialities and issues of socio-spatial justice and inequality at Dhaka’s urban fringe. This article thus provides empirical evidence explaining the impossibility of rigid statutory planning. Finally, we reflect on what urban planning needs to acknowledge in order for positive change.