Abstract—Bangladesh National Building Code is a

comprehensive document used for legally obligatory codes of

development in urban areas to enrich citizens’ living environment.

Due to the rapid urbanization, cities have been changed its natural

eco-system and overlooked the existence of green spaces, whereas

quality of urban life requires a greater degree of naturalized

surroundings. Green spaces generally is used as an enhancing

indicator of the living environment quality that making cities more

sustainable and livable. In Chittagong city, a lack of environment-

friendly planning with an absence of sustainable mindset has

decreased with high level of green spaces. The main concern of this

paper is to address the rethinking of residential building setback

area of BNBC for the sustainability of the city where they inhabit.

The study will not only discover the feasibility of creating green

corridor spaces but also indicate a sustainable approach to boost the

quality of urban neighborhoods.

Keywords—BNBC, Green Corridor, Building Setback,

Sustainability.

I. INTRODUCTION

HE urban living environment quality depend a big deal

on the quality of infrastructure and their appropriate

management [1]. Over the last decades, for the hasty

globalization in urban neighborhood, our cities have been

changed its natural ecology and ignored the existence of

green spaces, whereas quality of urban life requires a greater

degree of naturalized surroundings [2] & [3].

In Chittagong City is not only the second largest city but

also the commercial capital of Bangladesh where various

authorities have made some efforts to increase social or urban

neighborhood facilities. However, the tremendous population

pressure has far exceeded these facilities, which are

Md. Mustiafiz. Al-Mamun

1 is with Assistant Professor, in the Department of

Architecture, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET),

Chittagong-4349, Bangladesh, (phone: +8801717431463-4; e-mail:

mustiafiz@gmail.com).

Debsree. Mandal2 is with Lecturer in the Department of Architecture,

Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET), Chittagong-4349,

Bangladesh, (e-mail: debsree2004@yahoo.com).

Istiaque. Ahmed3 is with Lecturer in the Department of Architecture, Dhaka

University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), Gazipur, Bangladesh, (e-

mail: istiaque_anik@aol.com).

Anjuman Ara. Begum4 is with an Architect and Researcher, Chittagong-4000,

Bangladesh (e-mail: architectanjuman@gmail.com).

deteriorating the quality of such services [4]. It is estimated

that over 50% [5] of population of Bangladesh will be living

in urban areas whereas city’s living environment turns into

unpleasant situations.

Like others developing counties, a lack of environment

friendly residential area planning with absence of sustainable

mindset has decreased high level of green spaces in the

Chittagong. In this country’s residential building plots are

constructing with individual property boundary line according

to maintain BNBC setback rules.

The main objective of the study was to create urban green

living strategy development into existing and proposed

residential areas of the Metropolitan city, Chittagong. It not

only aimed to identify and select the indicators of applications

of BNBC rules that are implemented already in residential

area but also tried to find out the sustainable guidelines for

residents where they live in.

II. BNBC

Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) was prepared

to control the technical details of building construction and to

maintain the standard. In 1993, BNBC was first drafted and

informally reviewed and updated. The Code is a

comprehensive document that is used for legally mandatory

codes of development in metropolitan areas of Bangladesh to

enrich citizens’ living environment [6]. Due to worldwide

climate change and unsuitable geographic setting of

Bangladesh, that has affected mostly on the building and

construction sector [7].

III. STUDY AREA

The aim of creating a green corridor in residential areas,

consider to finding the preliminary data of Detail Area Plan

(DAP) of Chittagong. From that review shows, no standards

of urban facilities and urban amenities have been determined

and needs to be established, whereas, the twenty-eight

numbers of major residential areas are undertaken by

different organization of Chittagong city. However, the

authority will ensure a designated program of tree planting

both roadside and within plots [8]. Due to the green

initiatives of several authorities of Chittagong city, the study

ranges have counted within that twenty-eight major

residential zone.

Rethinking the Residential Building Setback

Rules of BNBC for a Sustainable

Development of Chittagong City

Md. Mustiafiz. Al-Mamun1, Debsree. Mandal

2, Istiaque. Ahmed

3, and Anjuman Ara. Begum

4

T

4th International Conference on Chemical, Ecology and Environmental Sciences (ICEES'2015) Dec. 15-16, 2015 Pattaya (Thailand)

31

IV. FINDINGS

In this city’s residential building plots are constructing

with individual property boundary line according to maintain

BNBC setback rules [8]. As a common strategy is to apply for

arrangement of plot planning, all plots are not only separated

with adjacent plots, but also created a barrier with

surrounding neighborhoods. Every building has a front road

and each backside is backside of another one. So that the

coded setbacks are not properly utilized and proposed

setbacks are not fully contributed with its surrounding context

sometimes that space is occupied by extension of parking or

accommodating with poor greeneries space.

To construction in any contexts especially in residential

area, residents follow all kinds of BNBC rules to implement

steps by steps. In BNBC [9], the minimum side and rear open

space requirements of a plot for buildings of various

occupancy classes shall be as specified in TABLE 1.

V. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

There is no established explanations of a sustainable city,

whereas it has arisen with the concept of sustainable

development, include the aspects of urban planning and

community development [10]. After Local Agenda 21

consultations [11], some cities have been developing their

own sustainability guidelines, and adopting quality of life

issues in a meaningful approach and have decided to take on

different regulatory, administrative, and financial aspects for

that. Aspects such as “amount of public green spaces per

inhabitant”, “green corridor spaces” and “recreation areas”

are often mentioned as key factors to make the city livable,

soothing and attractive for its societies. It is strongly believed

that “sustainable development of cities is not just about

improving the abiotic and biotic aspects of urban life, it is

also about the social aspects of city life, that is - among others

- about people’s satisfaction, experiences and perceptions of

the quality of their everyday environments,” [10] & [12].

In these above situations, the relation between green

corridors and city sustainability, building setback rules is one

of the vital aspects that should be rethinking of BNBC to

proper use as the boost up the quality of the urban

neighborhoods, which in turn is a key factor of sustainable

development. The minimum side and rear open spaces are

respectively shown in previous Table 1; whereas the

maximum values have considered for increasing building

height more than nine to ten stored with respect its

inhabitant’s desire and pressures of urbanization.

The study has introduced four guidelines of side and rear

open spaces. These four options have shown two common

segmentations with different layout, and one space is for tree

plantations and another one is walking way over inhabitants’

utility drainage. Moreover, that passageway can also use for

internal community interaction space, children play area, and

the dedicated tree plantation spaces can promote green

corridor in a residential area. For this purpose, the study area

will consider by accommodating into two adjacent building’s

setback spaces respectively consider of 3m rear setback and

3m side setback from one plot and another is 2m rear setback

and 1.25m side setback. That is followed below in figure:

Fig. 1. Proposed green spaces in rear setback area with

interaction space and drain way (option one).

Fig. 2. Proposed green spaces in rear setback area with

interaction space and drain way (option two).

TABLE I.

MINIMUM REAR AND SIDE OPEN SPACE REQUIREMNTS OF A PLOT

Building of all

Occupancy Plot size (m

2)

Minimum

Rear Open

space (m)

Minimum Side

Open space (m)

Up to 10 stories

or 33m

Not Over 200

201-275

276-300

301 and over

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.0

1.0

1.0

1.25

1.5

11 stories or

more than 33m

Any 3.0 3.0

m = meter, m2 = square meter.

4th International Conference on Chemical, Ecology and Environmental Sciences (ICEES'2015) Dec. 15-16, 2015 Pattaya (Thailand)

32

Fig. 3. Proposed green spaces in rear setback area with

interaction space and drain way (option three or where rear setback

average).

Fig. 4. Proposed green spaces in side setback area.

Fig. 5. Proposed layout of green corridor in rear and side setback

spaces of a typical residential area.

VI. CONCLUSION

The Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) was

composed with limited chapters on climate change aspects. In

the building sector, present code and standards are still based

on experimental statistics from the past. As the climate

change has been proven a reality now, it is appropriate time

to adapt that in the code [7].

Just imagine what our urban neighborhoods would look

like and what the authorities would manage resident’s living

environmental quality issues? If everyone did what they

wanted with no reflect for their neighbor, so that the living

space qualities of community should be provided for existing

and planned residential areas.

By rethinking building setback rules of BNBC, proposed

green corridor space opportunities can be integrated into

sustainable improvement to provide maximum benefit and

amenities. Due to the green corridor promotes an urban

nature, inhabitants can fulfill many kinds of social functions

and psychological needs, and different age-groups can easy

use this space to walk; children can ride their bicycle safely.

In that case, new introduction and implementation of green

corridor spaces into residential areas, this proposal will have

to be coordinated with a fluidity plan and integrated strategy

outlining that adopt into BNBC. However, including new

policies with environmental and nature protection in the

urban territory that will require collaboration programs with

government, architects, city planners, civic organizations and

private individuals.

REFERENCES

[1] A. K. Majumder, M. E. Hossain, M. N. Islam, M. I. Sarwar, “Urban

Environmental Quality Mapping: A Perception Study on Chittagong

Metropolitan City,” Kathmandu University Journal of Science,

Engineering and Technology, Vol. I, No. Iv, August, 2007.

[2] A. K. M. R. Karim, "Best Practice: A Perspective of "Clean and Green"

Chittagong,” First 2006 Workshop Population and Environmental

Protection in Urban Planning. Kobe, Japan: Asian Urban Information

Centre of Kobe, 2006.

[3] Urban Design Compendium (UDC), “Urban Design Compendium-1,”

English Partnerships and The Housing Corporation. London: Llewelyn-

Davies, 2007.

[4] N. Islam, “Urban Environment and Future Strategies for Urban

Development,” K. M. Elahi, A.H.M.R. Sharif, and A.K.M.A. Kalam, Eds.

Bangladesh: Geography Environment and Development, BNGA, Dhaka,

1992.

[5] Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), “The world Factbook: Field Listing:

Urbanization,” (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-

factbook/fields/2212) accessed 23 April 2014.

[6] S. A. Shafi, “National Building Code and Its Implementation,” National

Press Club, Dhaka, 2010.

[7] S. M. Islam, & I. Hossain, “Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC):

Current Practice and Relevance to Future Climate Change Aspect,” North

South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2013, unpublished.

[8] DAP, “Detail Area Plan for Chittagong Metropolitan City,” Government

of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Ministry of Housing and Public

Works, and Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Bangladesh

Government Press, Dhaka, 2009.

[9] Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), Bangladesh Government

Press, Dhaka, 2006, pp.10267-11562.

[10] A. Chiesura, “The role of urban parks for the sustainable city,”

Landscape and Planning, Elsevier, 2004, Vol. 68, pp. 129-138.

4th International Conference on Chemical, Ecology and Environmental Sciences (ICEES'2015) Dec. 15-16, 2015 Pattaya (Thailand)

33

[11] UNSD-United Nation Sustainable Development, “Agenda 21’ United

Nations Conference on Environment & Development (UNCED)”, Rio de

Janerio, Brazil, 1992.

[12] A. R. Beer, “Urban greenspace and sustainability,” In: van der Vegt, et al.

(Eds.), Proceedings of a PRO/ECE-Workshop on Sustainable Urban

Development: Research and Experiments, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 1993.

Mr. MD. MUSTIAFIZ AL-MAMUN is the first

Authors of entitle paper “Rethinking the Residential

Building Setback Rules of BNBC for a Sustainable

Development of Chittagong City”. Mr. AL-MAMUN

was born at Magura district, BANGLADESH on

October 3, 1984. Mr. AL-MAMUN did his degrees of

B.Arch. in Architecture Discipline, in 2008 from

Khulna University, Khulna, BANGLADESH and

currently, he studying in Master of Science in Urban

Environmental Management (MSc in UEM) at Asian

Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.

He has working as an Assistant Professor in Department of Architecture,

Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET), Chittagong-4349,

Bangladesh since 11/09/2009 to till date. He was also worked as an Architect, in

two-reputed architectural Consultant firm, at Dhaka, Bangladesh, for 2008 to

2009. He had published few research papers in various international conferences.

His research areas are Landscape and Urban Planning and Environmental

Management with incorporate of Architectural design and Frameworks. Current

field of research is land-use change impact on peri-urban landscape planning and

management.

Mr. Al-Mamun, is a member of Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB)

from January, 2009. He is also a coordinator of CUET Architecture Photography

Society (C’APS), Chittagong, Bangladesh. He was also a Treasurer of AIT

Bangladesh Association (AITBA) since Auguest’2014 to December’2014.

Within this, he is an Editorial Board Member of Civil Engineering and

Architecture, of Horizon Research Publishing (HRPUB) and also an Editor of

the American Journal of Rural Development, Science and Education Publishing

(SciEP), USA.

4th International Conference on Chemical, Ecology and Environmental Sciences (ICEES'2015) Dec. 15-16, 2015 Pattaya (Thailand)

34