BUET:URP Website

Dr. Meher Nigar Neema

Professor
Specialization

Urban Planning and Environmental Planning

Academic Biography

Meher Nigar Neema is a professor of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 2002, she graduated from the department of Urban and Regional Planning in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. She obtained first class with honors and placed herself in the second position. She was appointed as a faculty member in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in this University in May 2002. In her undergraduate thesis, she developed programs to customize the interface of a commercial GIS software. She produced an excellent thesis and acquired a sound background in GIS. In 2004, she completed her MURP (Master of Urban and Regional Planning) degree from BUET in the major of Urban and Regional Planning. She achieved outstanding performance and as a recognition, she was awarded the 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐃𝐫. 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐥 from BUET. Her master’s thesis was on “Spatial Optimization Using Genetic Algorithm”. In 2006, she obtained the 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 to conduct her doctoral research. She was awarded a doctoral degree from the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan (2010). In doctoral degree, she extraordinarily developed Genetic Algorithm (GA) based multi-objective continuous optimization models for the problems of a town’s facility. With a 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐉𝐒𝐏𝐒 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, she completed her post-doctoral research from the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan (2017). She has published 18 papers in international journals and 19 papers in refereed proceedings. She successfully published her research achievements in highly accredited peer-reviewed International Journals, namely 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝐸𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑈𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑛 𝑆𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑠; 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝐸𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑠; 𝐸𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐵: 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛; 𝐽𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡; 𝐽𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑈𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑛 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡. Her research interests include green urban planning, green city and green space planning for a livable city. In addition, she is conducting research in the modeling of town’s facility location using GIS and heuristics. Professor Neema acted as a chair in the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of Urban and Regional Planning Department of BUET under Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP). She has contributed significantly towards the university administration. An 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 entitled "𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠" was organized by Artist Prof. Dr. Meher Nigar Neema held on 28th May, 2022 to 30th May, 2022 at BUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh. In the art exhibition she presented her talent showing her excellent arts on 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Contact

Email: mehernigar@urp.buet.ac.bd
Email: mnneema@yahoo.com

Educational Information

Post-doc, Dept. of Architecture and Planning, Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT), Toyohashi, Japan, 2017
Ph.D., Dept. of Architecture and Planning, Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT), Toyohashi, Japan, 2010
Master of Urban and Regional Planning (BURP) , Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), 2004
Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (BURP), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) , 2002

Research Accounts

Consultancies

Assistance in decision making and designing Redevelopment Plan of Uttara Residential Model Town (3rd Phase) Project sponsored by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Capital Development Authority) and conducted by BUET, 2004.
Worked as an urban planner in "Landscape Design of Japan Garden City Project", Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2003.
Design and drawing of the Land Use Plan of the Site Adjacent of Hotel Sonargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2003.
Assistance in analysis and designing of Proposed Elevated Roadway in Hatrijheel Area, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2002.
Design and Drawing of Land Use Plan of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2005.
Assistance in examining the design of Detail Area Plan of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2006.
Development of Computer Programs using Avenue Programming Language to guide tourists to find out and view any points of interest in a city, 2002.
Development of Spatial Model using programming language C++ to find out optimum places for locating any facility. It was verified and implemented successfully by applying it on locating primary schools in Nakhla, Sherpur, Bangladesh, 2004.
Preparation of a report on "Reality of Parks: Digging for the Truth" (worked as team leader) that presents the problems of existing parks in Dhaka city, 1998.
Preparation of a report on "Intersection Problems: A Case Study on Mohakhali Intersection" (worked as team leader) that presents the transportation problems in Dhaka city, 1999.
Preparation of a report on "Redevelopment Plan of Nilkhet-Babupura-Elephant Road Area in Dhaka city" (worked as team leader) (displayed in Planning Week, 2000).
Preparation of a report on "Hierarchy Problems: A Case Study on Mirpur Road in Dhaka city" (worked as team leader), 1999.
Preparation of a report on "Regionalization in Bangladesh by Industrial Production using Location Quotient Method" (worked as team leader), 2000.
Design and drawing of "Landscape Planning in Shegunbagicha Road in Dhaka city" (worked as team leader), 1998.
Investigating Environmental Impact Assessment of Proposed Campus Building of BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2014.
Development of Multi-Objective Optimization Model using Programming Language C++ for locating urban parks and open spaces in a city. It was practically experimented by locating new parks and open spaces in Dhaka city, 2010.
Worked as Sub Project Manager in the preparation of HEQEP sub-project proposal tilted as: “Development of an Innovative Intelligent Transportation Model for Automatic Traffic Control System" under UGC, 2014
Worked a Chairman of Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) under HEQEP (Higher quality Education Enhancement Program) in the dept. Urban and Regional Planning, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2015.

Research Interests

Green Urban Planning
Green Space and Green City Planning
Sustainable City Planning
Facility Location Planning
Network Optimization
Multi-objective Optimization Modeling
Spatial Analysis using Geographic Information Systems
Application of Heuristic Approaches in Urban Planning

All Publications
Md Hamidur Rahman, Md Hedaetul Islam, Meher Nigar Neema *GIS-based compactness measurement of urban form at neighborhood scale: The case of Dhaka, Bangladesh* Elsevier, Journal of Urban Management, 2022 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Compact development is broadly professed for making significant contributions to achieve sustainable growth of cities. Therefore, evaluation of the existing compactness of urban areas is crucial for guiding future urban development. Previous studies measured urban areas' compactness at a city or metropolitan scale in a developed country context. Hence, a considerable research gap exists in studying compactness at the neighborhood scale, especially in urban areas from a developing country. This paper aims to evaluate and compare compactness level of neighborhoods in the GIS environment through broadly six indicators-population density, evenness of development, clustering nature of development, land-use diversity, floor use mix, and road network connectivity in eight neighborhoods of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. For this, the study developed a Composite Compactness Index (CCI) based on a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. Study results classified four neighborhood as low compact, three as moderately compact, and one as high compact neighborhood. Travel behavior analysis through modal share, travel time, and travel distance validated compact neighborhoods' tenability. Here, identified low and moderate compact neighborhoods require immediate planning interventions for improving their compactness level. Results from this study can work as a preliminary guideline for planners, policymakers, and development agencies for designing a more sustainable and efficient urban form through compact urban development on neighborhood scale. The developed methodology presented here can be applied to other areas with refinements necessary for corresponding geographic location.
Niaz Mahmud Zafri, Md Nurullah, Meher Nigar Neema, Md Waliullah *Spatial accessibility to healthcare facilities in coastal region of Bangladesh* John Wiley & Sons, Inc., The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 2021 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Though equal and easy accessibility to healthcare facilities are a fundamental right, people of the coastal region often get poor accessibility to healthcare facilities. This research aimed to assess the spatial accessibility to healthcare facilities in the coastal region of Bangladesh. Patuakhali district was selected as the study area. Accessibility to three levels of healthcare facilities: Community Clinic (CC), Upazila Health Complex (UHC) and District Hospital (DH) was measured individually using Geographic Information System (GIS) adopting the simple distance measures. Finally, overall accessibility to healthcare facilities was measured by overlaying accessibility to all three levels of healthcare facilities according to their relative importance. The findings of this study showed that a significant portion (70%) of Patuakhali district had high accessibility to CC; whereas, almost 60% and 40% of the area had poor accessibility to UHC and DH, respectively. Furthermore, 40% and 28% of the area of Patuakhali district had low and high accessibility to overall healthcare facilities, respectively. Furthermore, accessibility to healthcare facilities was found very poor in rural areas, char areas, and seashore. Thereafter, it is recommended to provide an UHC in every upazila and a DH in the southern part of Galachipa upazila to ensure high spatial accessibility of healthcare facilities.
Fajle Rabbi Ashik, Sadia Alam Mim, Meher Nigar Neema *Towards vertical spatial equity of urban facilities: An integration of spatial and aspatial accessibility* Elsevier, Journal of Urban Management, 2020 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link To ensure adequate access to urban facilities, it is important for urban planners to achieve equity in the geographical arrangement of such facilities. For the evaluation of vertical spatial equity in the geographical organization of urban facilities, there is a requirement to examine whether and to what degree the variation in spatial accessibility to urban facilities corresponds to the variation in aspatial accessibility for such facilities. While no studies so far measure vertical spatial equity in accordance with ‘need’ and ‘demand’ based approaches of equity with a focus on both spatial and aspatial accessibility. Therefore, this paper attempts to measure an integrated spatial accessibility index for the evaluation of geographic variation in spatial accessibility to urban facilities, and then, seeks to integrate spatial accessibility and aspatial accessibility in one framework to evaluate vertical spatial equity in the geographical arrangement of urban facilities. This paper measures integrated spatial accessibility index for urban facilities following the concept of 2SFCA method incorporating supply and demand for urban facilities, the travel distance or time that users are willing to cover to reach such facilities, and the interaction of residents across geographic boundaries. Aspatial accessibility to urban facilities is defined through demographic-demand index and social-need index for those facilities. Spearmen correlation coefficient, spatial analysis models (local spatial autocorrelation in this case), and overlay are used to assess the association between spatial accessibility and aspatial accessibility to urban facilities. The results indicate there exists a variation (inequality) in spatial accessibility to urban facilities in the case study area (DCC). Urban facilities are inequitably distributed within DCC, as high-social-need areas and high-demographic-demand areas have low spatial accessibility to such facilities. These areas should be prioritized in distributing urban facilities in the future, and thus, it can help urban planners to achieve an equitable distribution of urban facilities.
Fajle Rabbi Ashik, Sadia Alam Mim, Meher Nigar Neema *Measuring an Integrated Spatial Accessibility Index for Urban Facilities in DCC area* -, International Conference on Engineering Research and Practice, 2020 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Adequate, easy, and equitable access to urban facilities is a fundamental human right. To ensure adequate access to urban facilities, it is paramount important to urban planners to achieve equity in the distribution of such facilities. This study thus attempts to measure an integrated spatial accessibility measurement framework that contributes to the evaluation of geographic variation of spatial accessibility to urban facilities in Dhaka city corporation (DCC). This study measures integrated spatial accessibility index for urban facilities using GIS based techniques network analysis, spatial join, and summarize incorporating supply and demand for urban facilities, the travel distance or time that users are willing to cover to reach such facilities, and the interaction of residents across geographic boundaries. The obtained results indicate that there exist a variation in spatial accessibility to urban facilities. The central part of DCC area (16 wards) was found to retain higher spatial accessibility to urban facilities while the periphery was mostly covered by the wards (50 wards) with low spatial accessibility scores. Urban facilities are distributed in such a way that three-fourth of total population have low spatial access to those facilities. Modelling results implicate these areas should get more priority in allocating particular types of urban facilities in future. Research findings of this study could be a useful reference to help urban planners to analyze, investigate, and adjust the distribution of urban facilities in a more equitable manner.
U. Saha, M. F. Islam, Meher Nigar Neema *A Microsimulation Based Approach to Investigate Intersection Performance: A Case Study on Bhulta Intersection of Dhaka* -, International Conference on Engineering Research and Practice, 2019 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Maria, B. E., Meher Nigar Neema *GIS Analysis of Bus Bay Provision Near Bus-Stops to Reduce Traffic Congestion* -, International Conference on Engineering Research and Practice, 2019 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Ashik, F. R., Mim, S.A. , Meher Nigar Neema *A Spatial Accessibility Based Approach for the Assessment o Spatial Equity of Urban facilities over Time* BIP, International Conference on Urban and Regional Planning, 2019 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Md Hamidur Rahman, Hedaetul Islam, Meher Nigar Neema *Compactness of Neighborhood Spatial Structure: A Case Study of Selected Neighborhoods of DNCC and DSCC Area* -, International Conference on Sustainability in Natural and Built Environment, 2019 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link The popularization of sustainable development has contributed to the promotion of the urban compactness idea. Since the 1990s, research has generally led to the advocacy of cities that are spatially compact, with a mix of uses. Dhaka has been dealing with some burning issues mainly related to land use management, which gives rise to the shortage of livable space along with environmental degradation and economic instability. Sustainable land use management requires proper study of existing spatial structures. Majority of the previous research focused on indicators that measured compactness or the sprawling nature of urban area at City or Metropolitan scale. This research has quantified neighborhood level spatial structures to study the compactness of the development. For measuring the spatial distribution of the development, the study has taken five variables-density in terms of floor use, residential to employment ratio, the percentage of the built-up area by buildings, the degree of equal distribution measured by Gini Coefficient, and the degree of clustering measured by Moran's I Coefficient. In the case of spatial structure, the Gini represents the degree to which the distribution of the development is concentrated or dispersed over the urban area while Moran's I will measure the degree of clustering or the three-dimensional pattern of the development. Each of the studied neighborhoods (ward) has been divided into 100*100 square grid cells which defines the sub-area for analysis, where each grid cell contains the information of total floor space available for residential and employment use used as a proxy variable of the population. The study found that residential spaces in the wards have more even distribution, with more continuous or random scattering behavior, while employment spaces are clustered in a few sub areas producing monocentric urban form in Neighborhood scale. The study focused mainly on two wards, similar study covering all the wards would give the spatial structure of the whole city, which will be the ultimate need of the policymakers or planners to prepare better land use control plans as well as land use development plans.
Sakhawat Hossen Saikat, Meher Nigar Neema *Least-cost path analysis of shortest possible route: A case study on Khulna University from all planned residential and adjacent areas of Khulna city* -, International Conference on Engineering Research and Practice , 2019 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Sultana, S., Meher Nigar Neema *GIS Analysis of Bus Bay Provision Near Bus-Stops to Reduce Traffic Congestion* -, International Conference on Engineering Research and Practice, 2019 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Edrish, M. B, Meher Nigar Neema *Identifying Low Lying Catchment Area for Ensuing Sustainable Disaster Management: A Case Study on Haor Flash Flood Area Detection* -, International Conference on Green Architecture , 2018 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Nasrin, S, Meher Nigar Neema *Analysis of Environmental Factors for Planning of Greenery Integrated Better Pedestrian Way in Dhaka City* -, International Conference on Green Architecture, 2018 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Sakhawat Hossen Saikat, Meher Nigar Neema *Suitable Siting of a Park in Khulna City: A GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Analysis.* -, International Conference on Green Architecture 2018, 2018 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link A liveable environment is the right of all human beings as well as all other beings. Parks and Greenspaces provide that for us. Khulna city is a rapidly growing city and the parks and open green space are not sufficient for the people living there. Khulna is the third-largest city in Bangladesh having a population of 1.4 million (BBS, 2011). According to Bangladesh Government’s Standard, the minimum land requirement for a park has been set to 1.5 acres per 10000 people. (GoB, 2004) To maintain that standard, Khulna City needs at least 210 acres of park and open space but only has 54.0 acres. (Islam, W. et al. 2012) So, existing parks are not sufficient for fulfilling the minimum govt. the standard for parks. Additional parks are required to fulfill the need. In the Open space proposal (Chapter 8) of KDA Master Plan 2001-2020, a total of 2008.00 acres of open space was proposed in which 234.70 acres of land was proposed for Metropolitan and Community Level Parks in total KDA jurisdiction area including Khulna City but most of them are not yet implemented. (KDA, 2001) It may not be possible to fulfill all the demands for parks and open spaces at a time but this study intended to find out a suitable site for a park in Khulna city to help to minimize the problem to some extent.
S M Labib, Meher Nigar Neema, Zahidur Rahaman, Shahadath Hossain Patwary, Shahadat Hossain Shakil *Carbon dioxide emission and bio-capacity indexing for transportation activities: A methodological development in determining the sustainability of vehicular transportation systems* Elsevier, Journal of Environmental Management, 2018 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link CO2 emissions from urban traffic are a major concern in an era of increasing ecological disequilibrium. Adding to the problem net CO2 emissions in urban settings are worsened due to the decline of bio-productive areas in many cities. This decline exacerbates the lack of capacity to sequestrate CO2 at the micro and meso-scales resulting in increased temperatures and decreased air quality within city boundaries. Various transportation and environmental strategies have been implemented to address traffic related CO2 emissions, however current literature identifies difficulties in pinpointing these critical areas of maximal net emissions in urban transport networks. This study attempts to close this gap in the literature by creating a new lay-person friendly index that combines CO2 emissions from vehicles and the bio-capacity of specific traffic zones to identify these areas at the meso-scale within four ranges of values with the lowest index values representing the highest net CO2 levels. The study used traffic volume, fuel types, and vehicular travel distance to estimate CO2 emissions at major links in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital city's transportation network. Additionally, using remote-sensing tools, adjacent bio-productive areas were identified and their bio-capacity for CO2 sequestration estimated. The bio-productive areas were correlated with each traffic zone under study resulting in an Emission Bio-Capacity index (EBI) value estimate for each traffic node. Among the ten studied nodes in Dhaka City, nine had very low EBI values, correlating to very high CO2 emissions and low bio-capacity. As a result, the study considered these areas unsustainable as traffic nodes going forward. Key reasons for unsustainability included increasing use of motorized traffic, absence of optimized signal systems, inadequate public transit options, disincentives for fuel free transport (FFT), and a decline in bio-productive areas.
Naila Sharmeen , Meher Nigar Neema *Development of a GIS-based model for optimum traffic flow distribution through estimating travel demand and travel behavior analysis in some selected major routes of Dhaka city, Bangladesh* -, UCCONNECT Student Conference, 2016 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Meher Nigar Neema, Kazuki Karashima, A Junichiro, Akira Ohgai *Correlation between GA-based optimization of green spaces and air pollution reduction: A Case Study on Dhaka City* -, Design & Decision Support Systems in Architecture and Urban Planning, 2016 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link In this study, we establish a correlation between GA-based optimization of green spaces and air pollution reduction thereby presenting the contribution of greeneries in lessening air pollution. In this context, we first used the grid-wise spatial distribution of CO2 in Dhaka city using geographic information systems (GIS). Then, assess how many different sizes of trees are required to plant optimally in multi-variant green space locations obtained from genetic algorithms (GA)-based heuristic optimization. Next, we quantify carbon reduction capacity of different sizes of trees considering basal area of trees and standing woody biomass. Carbon sequestration has shown to vary significantly with the types of green spaces. More predominant effect was found with local parks. We found that different sizes of trees in optimal multi-variant green spaces could sequestrate up to 1,745,848 ton of carbon per year. In addition, we emphasized from GA-based sitting of green spaces that indeed adequate and optimal locations of green spaces in an urban setting can effectively reduce air pollution.
Meher Nigar Neema, J. Asano, K.Karashima,, S. H. Saikat, A. Ohgai *Public Perception of Urban Greeneries and Health: A Case Study on Dhaka* -, ISER 186th International Conference, 2016 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Mashrur Rahman, Meher Nigar Neema *A GIS Based Integrated Approach to Measure the Spatial Equity of Community Facilities of Bangladesh* AIMS Press, AIMS Geosciences, 2015 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link The distribution of public facilities and their spatial equity is an important matter to be considered while planning public facilities. However, most of the studies in the literature have taken into consideration only a single type of facility while leaving other facilities unconsidered. In this paper an integrated spatial index for public facilities has been developed integrating GIS and spatial analysis models. The index measures the spatial equity based on the accessibility of 6 different types of public facilities for 5247 unions and 476 sub-districts of Bangladesh. Spatial autocorrelation techniques have been applied to understand the spatial pattern of accessibility. In fact it helps to understand the characteristics of spatial equity both for disaggregated and aggregated levels. It has been found that variation accessibilities to the facilities across the space are significant. Distribution of some facilities are spatially clustered to some particular areas means those areas are in an advantageous position in terms of accessibility while other areas are in a backward condition. The proposed index and the spatial autocorrelation will help to identify which areas should receive more priority in allocating particular types of public facilities in the future.
Meher Nigar Neema, Md. Rifat Hossain, Antora Mohsena Haque, MHM Farhan *Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Quality of Exisiting Urban Parks in Dhaka City - Towards Achieving Livable City* NepJOL, International Journal of Environment, 2014 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Qualitative and quantitative assessment of the quality of major parks in mega city Dhaka have been conducted. Four incommensurate factors: environment, safety and security, landscape and aesthetic value have been considered to qualitatively and quantitatively assesses the quality of the parks. From qualitative analysis it is found that, some parks (located in highly classified residential area of the city) are superior in safety and security and landscape design whereas other parks (located remote from residential area) are inferior in safety and security and environmental factor. It is necessary to address factors of each park lacking behind to ensure better quality of parks. To quantitatively assess the quality of parks, we formulated a new index value calculation to rank all parks in terms of all factors. It is found that the quality of all the parks are dispersed. In addition, investigation of universal accessibility of the parks and direct park user’s opinion has been accumulated to supports findings of this analysis. Based on the major findings of this study a number of recommendations have been provided for the improvement of the quality of parks in Dhaka city such as involvement of local community and establishment of office for the park authority inside the park can be helpful in the quality maintenance of the parks. The findings of this paper can enhance the existing knowledge of city planners a step forward with a-priori knowledge to ensure quality of parks in further city planning.
Md Tanvir Hossain Shubho, Meher Nigar Neema *Impact of land use change on prodigious traffic growth towards impeding livability of a city* -, Environment, Ecology & Management, 2014 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link In city's smart roadway system, the effectiveness in accessibility of traffic to various part of the city is heavily determined particularly by the traffic volume. Hence, traffic congestion in roads significantly impedes the accessibility, resulting in declining livability. Evidently land use and traffic are inveterately interrelated; thereby change in land use has deterministic impacts on traffic volume. An overly populous megacity Dhaka is confronted with escalating traffic volume day by day. In addition, concomitant land use pattern surrounding its roadways is also changing significantly. Careless unplanned development of land uses in Dhaka city has resulted in perpetual traffic congestion along with pollution, thereby aggravating its sustainability. In this context, this paper addresses the impact of land use change on the traffic volume of Dhaka city. We first identified and quantified the land use and traffic volume change from 2007 to 2012 based on the study route. Next, we conducted Geographic Information System (GIS)-based assessment on the impact of land use change on traffic volume and traffic Peak Hour Factor (PHF). Land use and traffic volume data are collected by field survey and from secondary sources. Analyses are done employing dedicated ArcGIS and spreadsheet tools. The results show that from 2007 to 2012 the traffic volume in the study route increased on an average by 30.75%. Furthermore, the PHFs are much lower in 2012 indicating more variation in traffic flow distribution. These phenomena can be attributed to land use change around the vicinity of the study route where residential and commercial use increased and mixed use decreased. The obtained results thus have an implication on increasing congestion and pollution as well as downscaling livability. … Read more
Meher Nigar Neema, Jinat Jahan *An Innovative Approach to Mitigate Vehicular Emission through Roadside Greeneries: A Case Study on Arterial Roads of Dhaka City* Scientific Research, Journal of Data Analysis and Information Processing, 2014 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link With the surge of human population, the need for transportation of goods and people also concomitantly increases, resulting in urban air pollution through emission from motorized traffic especially in developing countries. The extent of environmental pollution in an urban setting is significantly influenced by the pollutants of vehicular fuel combustion. Many effective measures are required in cities to sequester carbon thereby helping to reduce automobile pollution. Roadside greeneries can serve as ecological elements which reduce the concentration of pollutants from vehicular emissions by their direct involvement in absorbing vehicular emitted carbon. In this context, in this study an attempt has been taken to assess contribution of roadside greeneries in absorbing vehicular carbon dioxide emission. A case study has been conducted on arterial roads of mega city Dhaka to quantify the vehicular carbon emission and correlate it with roadside trees to absorb the emitted carbon dioxide. It is noted that in Dhaka city, carbon dioxide is accounted for more than ninety percent of air pollution. To achieve our goals, two busiest arterial roads (namely Mirpur Road and Rokeya Shoroni Road) were taken into account to quantify vehicular carbon emission as well as assess carbon absorption by roadside greeneries. Carbon absorption by different sizes of trees has been quantified using the amount of woody biomass. In addition, absorption by grass-shrubs-herbs has been quantified by the area they cover. The results thus obtained show that indeed the road with more side greeneries absorbs more vehicular emitted carbon dioxide. It is therefore evident that plantation of more roadside trees is an effective measure of reducing air pollution and consequently turning a city to become healthier and more suitable for living.
Meher Nigar Neema, Md. Azit Siraj *Spatial and Temporal Changes of Climatic Variables and Its Impact on Natural Disasters in Bangladesh* Science Publishing Group, American Journal of Environmental Protection, 2014 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Bangladesh is confronted with a big challenge to mitigate the significant impact of climate change. Due to the climate change, Bangladesh has already experienced average maximum temperature rising, minimum temperature decreasing, rainfall, relative humidity and cloud coverage decreasing resulting frequent and severe floods, tropical cyclone, extensive river bank erosion and drought. This paper focuses mainly to identify the spatial and temporal changes of climatic variables namely temperature, rainfall, humidity and cloud coverage of Bangladesh using data from Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARC) at 32 stations and also find out the adverse impacts of climate change especially on natural disasters of Bangladesh. To determine the climatic variability an inclusive meteorological estimation was carried out for the period of 2007-2011 and the results were compared with the period 1987-1991. The results of the climatic variability show that the average maximum temperature is increasing at a rate of 0.03°C per year but the annual minimum temperature is decreasing at a rate of 0.003°C per year. On the other hand, the annual rainfall, relative humidity and cloud coverage decreased by 0.63 mm, 0.013 percent and 0.007 respectively per year. For these climatic changes during the period 1970 to 2013, one hundred thirty four (134) major and minor cyclones hit the coastal regions of Bangladesh and almost two-third (88) of them hit in the period of 1992-2013 which is very alarming for our survival. On the other hand, it shows that the intensity and frequency of extreme flood events have significantly increased and the most extensive floods in the period 1954-2012 occurred after 1986 (1987, 1988, 1998, 2004, 2007) are considered by hydrologists to be at a size expected only once in every 20 years. The floods of 1987, 1988, 1998, 2004 and 2007 and cyclones of 1991, 1997, 2007 and 2009 are direct impact of climate change in Bangladesh.
Jinat Jahan, Meher Nigar Neema *A quantitative assessment on the mitigation of vehicular emission by roadside greeneries: a case study on arterial roads of Dhaka city* Scientific Research, International Journal of Data Analysis and Information Processing, 2014 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
N Sharmin, Meher Nigar Neema *A GIS-based Multi-criteria Analysis to Site Appropriate Locations of Hospitals in Dhaka City* Volkson Press and Academic Research Publishers, Asian Transactions on Engineering, 2013 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Health is one of the basic needs of human being, which is achieving significant importance globally and locally particularly in the city's perspective. Mega city Dhaka is highly confronted with extremely poor living environmental conditions and lack of basic amenities, inadequate healthcare facilities, and outreach of services. Unfortunately, there is lack of policy adaptation and implementation with regard to the spatial dimension of planning for health facilities. Moreover, the health facilities are distributed disproportionately, rather than in an equitable manner. Many poor people do not have access to the healthcare centers in the city. However, it is estimated that, the expected growth of population will put greater pressure on the already inadequate health services. Therefore, it requires examining the spatial distribution of hospitals and providing optimal locations of new hospitals. This study analyzes the existing locations of hospitals in a part of the city and find out suitable locations for providing new hospitals.. This study considers multiples criteria including distances from existing hospitals, roads, educational institutions, industries and water bodies to determine suitable places for new hospitals. To perform this study, the spatial analyst and geo-processing tools of geographic information systems (GIS) were employed. Finally, the suitable locations have been presented in a map, which implicates that the total area of suitable locations for new hospitals in the study area is 10.95 acres comprising 0.48% of the study area. This study thus provides decision makers with suitable sites for new hospital allocation to adequately cover the hospital needs in the study area.
Meher Nigar Neema, Akira Ohgai *Multitype Green-Space Modeling for Urban Planning Using GA and GIS* SAGE, Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2013 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Green spaces can facilitate sustainable urban environment in a number of ways: Purifying air and water, filtering noise, and stabilizing the microclimate. Therefore, city planners have to design optimal sites to provide new green spaces. The present study addresses the genetic-algorithm-based multiobjective modeling of optimal sites for multitype green spaces considering multiple objectives. A new model has been developed and applied to identify the optimum sites for green spaces, particularly parks and open spaces (POSs). We considered six criteria: population, air quality, noise level, air temperature, water quality, and recreational value, including barriers for placing new POSs. The model thus developed was applied to Dhaka as a case study. The spatial functions of GIS are used to quantify, analyze, and represent the six objective criteria of our model. The modeling results show a successful optimization of locations for new POS. In addition, a suitability analysis is performed to find locations of various POSs using GIS. This study provides an indication of how to site multitype green spaces to make a sustainable urban environment.
Meher Nigar Neema, Khandoker Maniruzzaman, Akira Ohgai *Urban Greening Using an Intelligent Multi-Objective Location Modelling with Real Barriers: Towards a Sustainable City Planning* Scientific Research, Current Urban Studies, 2013 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Greenery is one of the important ingredients for urban planning with a sustainable environment. Increas-ing parks and open spaces (POS) to offer a greater diversity of green spaces have substantial impact on itsenvironment in many mega cities around the world. However, any place cannot be a potential site for POSdue to multi-objective modeling nature of POS planning. In this paper, an intelligent multi-objective con-tinuous optimization model is thus developed for locating POS with particular emphasis on greeneriesthat will potentially benefit and facilitate the planni ng of a sustainable city. Three environmentally inc-ommensurable factors analyzed with the help of geographic information systems (GIS) namely air-quality,noise-level, and population-distribution have been considered in the model and a genetic algorithm (GA)is used to solve the continuous optimization problem heuristically. The model has been applied to Dhakacity as a case study to find the optimal locations of additional POS to make it a sustainable city by ame-liorating its degraded environment. The multiple obj ectives are combined into a single one by employinga dynamic weighting scheme and a set of non-dominated Pareto optimal solutions is derived. The ob-tained alternative non-dominated solutions from the robust modelling approach can serve as a candidatepool for the city planners in decision making for POS planning by selecting an alternative solution whichis best suited for the prevailing land-use pattern in a city. The model has successfully demonstrated toprovide optimal locations of new POS. In addition, we found that locations of POS can be optimized evenby integrating it with land cover and uses like lakes, streams, trails (for simplicity which were consideredas a barrier constraint in the model) to rejuvenate added beauties in a city. The obtained results thus indi-cate that the developed multi-objective POS location model can serve as an effective tool for urban POSplanning maintaining sustainable environment.
M.A. Siraj, Meher Nigar Neema, Md Tanvir Hossain Shubho *Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security in Bangladesh -- A GIS-based analysis* -, Asian Transactions on Engineering, 2013 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Climate change has some conspicuous adverse impacts on food production. Bangladesh is confronted with a big challenge to cope up with the significant impact of climate change. In this context, an attempt has been made using GIS to analyze the impacts of climate change on Gross Domestic Products (GDP), rice cultivated area, food production and availability, crop production due to temperature and CO2 rise, and ultimate food security due to natural calamities. This study includes the prevailing data on food sector, socio-economic and demographic information. Statistical and GIS analyses manifest that the contribution of agricultural sector in GDP was reduced by 13.56 % from fiscal year 2003-04 to 2010-11 and arable lands of the country were declined especially for major rice of type-1 (Aus) and type-2 (Aman) by 64.24 % and 6.5 %respectively in spite of significantly increasing over all cultivated area due to increased cropping intensity of high yielding variety rice type-3 (Boro). On the other hand, the domestic production of different types of cereal and non-cereal crops was increased except wheat and pulses which reduced respectively 29.22% and 172.69% from fiscal year 1995-96 to2009-10. Besides, due to temperature rise wheat, Aus and Boro production reduced by 27%, 61% and 62% respectively and due to climate change induced calamities, on an average almost 409077.5 metric tons food production are lost and 23.62 million hectares of agriculture lands are degraded every year. In addition, per capita consumption of people has found to be decreased due to the high population pressure and climate change induced different natural calamities. These results thus can support decision makers, concerned authorities and general citizens to realize the current food security aspects of Bangladesh and the government can undertake effective measures to ensure the food security.
Md Tanvir Hossain Shubho, M.T. Hassan, Md. Rifat Hossain, Meher Nigar Neema *Quantitative Analysis of Spatial Pattern of Dustbins and its Pollution in Dhaka City -- A GIS Based Approach* -, Asian Transactions on Engineering, 2013 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Smart waste management in a city is significantly manifested by the optimal distribution of waste collection points (dustbins). Evidently, inadequate number of dustbins coupled with improper management may trigger pollution to a great extent. Waste collection using insufficient street dustbins is a widely used way of solid waste management in Dhaka city. Yet an uncomforting scenario of air pollution is prevailing in different wards of Dhaka. The reasons can be put forth as inadequate and unequal distribution of municipal dustbins, improper management including waste overflow and the lack of awareness in usage among the people. In this context, an attempt has been made in this paper to obtain a quantitative analysis between existing dustbins and their serving population. This study first analyses the spatial distribution of dustbins in some areas of Dhaka city employing average nearest neighbor functions of GIS. Interestingly, the spatial distribution of the existing dustbins has shown to be predominantly in clustered pattern. Next, an optimal number of additional dustbins were calculated. An additional number of 20 and 8 dustbins are required in areas (wards) # 34 and # 35 in Dhaka city. We also examined the extent of pollution caused by the existing dustbins using spatial analyst functions of GIS. It is found that all the dustbins are burst with wastes and causing pollution to the ground surface and air. The results thus obtained would help to understand the present scenario of the waste management of Dhaka city and to optimally place the required number of dustbins to prevent further pollution to environment.
Meher Nigar Neema, Khandoker Maniruzzaman, Akira Ohgai *Green Urbanism Incorporating Greenery-Based Conceptual Model towards Attaining a Sustainable Healthy Livable Environment—Dhaka City’s Perspective* Scientific Research, Current Urban Studies, 2013 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link In this paper, a model of green urbanism (GU) incorporating the concept of planting trees and greeneries has been proposed. The GU model attempts to address challenges encountered by dynamically changing cities around the globe due to the increasing events of urban greeneries transforming into built-up areas. A framework is designed to develop a greenery-based conceptual model (GBCM) towards attaining a sustainable healthy livable (SHL) environment. The model is applied to mega city Dhaka as a case study considering its adopted greenery-based urban strategies and methodologies to deal with both social and economic aspects. In this context, we first revisit the present state-of-the-art of greeneries in Dhaka, then examine whether Dhaka is a SHL-city and finally, an attempt has been taken to revive Dhaka as GU to bring a sustainable healthy environment. The model has confirmed that greenery is the prime factor of green urbanism which could bring a number of fundamental environmental benefits such as reduction in energy use, pollution, waste generation, emission of greenhouse gas, impacts on climate and occurrence of natural disasters. The model thus developed has an implication on how city planners can adapt a priori approach to ensure sustainable health of populations combating unprecedented social, economic and environmental challenges of unsustainable, unhealthy, and unlivable (3U) cities due to insufficient greeneries.
Antora Mohsena Haque, Md. Rifat Hossain, Md. Hasan Murshed Farhan, Meher Nigar Neema *An Innovative Approach to Assess the Quality of Major Parks in Environmentally Degraded Mega-City Dhaka* Springer, Computational Science and Its Applications, 2013 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link This study addresses both qualitative and quantitative assessments of the quality of major parks of Dhaka. Four incommensurate factors namely environment, safety and security, landscape and aesthetic factors have been smartly chosen to measure the quality of the parks by formulating new index values. Index value of each factor has been calculated for all the parks. It is shown that the quality of all the parks considered are dispersed. In addition, investigation of universal accessibility of the parks and direct park user’s opinion has been accumulated to concretize the results. Based on the major findings of this study a number of recommendations have been provided for the improvement of the quality of parks in Dhaka city. Involvement of local community and establishment of office for the park authority inside the park can be helpful in the quality maintenance of the parks. The findings of this paper will enhance the existing knowledge of city planners a step forward with a-priori knowledge to ensure quality of parks in further city planning.
Debasish Roy Raja, Meher Nigar Neema *Impact of Urban Development and Vegetation on Land Surface Temperature of Dhaka City* Springer, Computational Science and Its Applications, 2013 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link This paper addresses both quantitative and qualitative assessment of the relationship between the land surface temperatures (LST) and land cover (LC) changes in Dhaka Metro Area (DMA) using Landsat TM/ETM+ data over the period from 1989 to 2010. The LC map was prepared using supervised classification methods. On the other hand, using the calibration of spectral radiance and emissivity correction LST has been derived from the thermal band of Landsat TM/ETM+. To establish the relationship between LST and LC, GIS based spatial simulation has been conducted. The changing of LST is found to be directly correlated with LC transition. LST has shown to increase in areas with growing urban developments. In contrary, the amount of Vegetation (NDVI) is negatively correlated with LST. The trend of LST and LC transitions indicates that LST will be abruptly increased in near future. The urban LST maps, the analyses of thermal-land cover relationships and the spatial simulated results thus obtained could be used as strategies for quality improvement of urban environment and a smart solution to the reduction of Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.
Meher Nigar Neema, Khandoker Maniruzzaman, Akira Ohgai *Application of Advanced Hybrid Genetic Algorithms for Optimal Locations of High School* Springer, Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications, 2013 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link In this study, an advanced hybrid genetic algorithms is formulated and applied to the optimal location of high schools in a rural area of Bangladesh. The advanced hybrid algorithms consist of genetic algorithm and alternating location allocation algorithm. The model is applied to Nakhla Upazila (a sub-district area) of Bangladesh as a case study. First, the genetic algorithm is used to generate optimum locations of high schools and then coded with the traditional alternating location allocation heuristic thus avoiding very long computation time. Obtained simulation results indicate that existing high schools are not well distributed and they are far from residential areas. The developed hybrid algorithm based model successfully shows the best locations of high schools in the Nakhla Upazilla minimizing the total amount of travel distance from the different zones of Nakhla Upazila to the school sites and thus provide a safe travel for children. The results have an implication for a good urban planning in context of placing schools optimally within walking distance of a neighborhood The model thus developed can be applied by planners as a useful tool for any location analysis.
Taslima Akter, Md. Mehedi Hasan, Akter Uz Zaman, Md. Rifat Hossain, Meher Nigar Neema *Analysis of Potential Factors Bringing Disparity in House Rent of Dhaka City* Springer, Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications, 2013 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link Housing problem is one of the most acute problems in the mega-city Dhaka. A recent study of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) showed that house rent in the city has alarmingly increased to about 350 % during the last 22 years (1990–2012) while the increase was 15.83 % higher in 2011 than in 2010. As a result fixed income city dwellers comprising both middle and lower middle class households are in great trouble to tackle the real-world problem of house rent in the city. This research thus conducted an extensive study to find the potential factors affecting the house rent by investigating relationship of increasing house rent with a number of important factors namely zonal variations of external appearance of the buildings, surrounding land use type, road distance from house, availability of open space, presence of utility facilities, type of structure, total number of flats, and average area of each unit flat are considered. A survey of 360 different areas on ten different zones of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) area is conducted. Using the proposed prioritizing factors through weighted index method, it has been found that owners consider size of the unit as the main factor of determining the house rent. Social status plays the least role before determining the house rent. Increase of house rent in different interval of time has no relation with the distance from the main roads. Rather structures being distant from main road increase higher rent. Increase in price of utility services and daily necessary commodities are the prime reasons behind the house rent increase. Owners claim that house rent increase become a must when there is an increase in price of water supply, gas etc. Owners of the apartment mainly increase the house rent for their own accountability. Presence of house owner organization may reduce the abrupt and irregular increase of house rent. Building and structural condition is found to be the most influential factor for hiring residence in Dhaka city for the tenants. Accessibility and mobility along with social and community facilities are the next two criteria for choosing the residence. Accessibility is one of the most important factors for incensement of house rent. Safety and security, Proximity of educational institutions and social status also plays important role in this context. Though traditionally road distance and structure types are considered as the major factors determining the house rent, in contrary other factors namely size of the unit and presence of utility services are found to be the most dominant factors.
Meher Nigar Neema, Khandoker Maniruzzaman, Akira Ohgai *Greenery-Based Model of Green Urbanism for Developing a Sustainable Healthy Livable City - Dhaka City's Perspective* IEEE Xplore, Conference on Computational Science and its Applications, 2013 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link In this paper, a model of green urbanism (GU) incorporating the concept of planting of trees and greeneries has been proposed. The GU model mainly attempts to address challenges encountered by dynamically changing cities around the globe due to the reduced number of urban greeneries transforming into built-up areas. A framework has been designed to develop a greenery-based conceptual model (GBCM) towards attaining sustainable healthy livable (SHL) environment. The model is discussed in terms of greenery-based urban strategies and methodologies to deal with the social and economic contexts particularly in Dhaka city. In this context, we first revisit the present state-of-the-art of greeneries in Dhaka, then examine whether Dhaka a SHL-city and finally, an attempt has been taken to revive GU in Dhaka to bring a sustainable healthy environment. The model has reconfirmed that greeneries are the roots of adopting green urbanism which could bring a number of fundamental environmental benefits including reduction in energy use, pollution, waste generation, emission of greenhouse gas, impacts on climate and occurrence of natural disasters etc. The model thus developed has an implication on how city planners can adapt a priori approach to ensure sustainable health of populations combating unprecedented social, economic and environmental challenges that make cities unsustainable, unhealthy, and unlivable (3U-cities) due to insufficient greeneries.
Meher Nigar Neema, Akira Ohgai *Multi-objective location modeling of urban parks and open spaces: Continuous optimization* Elsevier, Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 2009 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link In this paper, we present a multi-objective model with a promising application for facility location planning. The genetic algorithm (GA)-based multi-objective optimization model (GAMOOM) developed here is applied to the particular problem of obtaining optimum locations for urban parks and open spaces (POSs) by considering four incommensurable objectives: the provision of POSs near (1) densely populated areas, (2) areas with polluted air, (3) noisy areas, and (4) areas without POSs. The model is executed using real datasets collected from the city of Dhaka (as a case study). To assess the impact of each objective, computational results obtained from each objective function were compared. The second objective (air pollution) has been shown to have a significant impact on locating POSs compared to that of the other objectives. The results obtained using a composite objective function (by combining all objective functions) indicate that the model can successfully provide optimum locations for new POSs. This study also clearly demonstrates the importance of using a dynamic weighting scheme to convert all objective functions into a composite one. The model developed here has been found to incorporate an operator to successfully generate non-dominated Pareto optimal solutions and a Pareto front. The alternative solutions obtained here act as a candidate pool from which decision makers may choose the best solution according to their preferences or determinant criteria. The outcome of this multi-objective GAMOOM model consequently does have implications for how POSs should be designed and managed by planning authorities in order to maintain not only a sustainable environment, but also a better quality of life in the city.
Meher Nigar Neema, Ohgai, A *Locating Urban Facilities in Presence of Barrier Constraints using a Multi-Objective Optimization Heuristic* -, International Conference on Computers in Urban Planning and Urban Management, 2009 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Meher Nigar Neema, Ohgai, A, Emanuel, L. L *Analyzing Existing Condition and Location of Open Spaces in Dhaka city* -, International Symposium on City Planning and Urban Management in Asian Countries, 2008 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link
Meher Nigar Neema, Ohgai, A *A GA-based Multi-Objective Optimization Model for Location Planning of Urban Parks and Open Spaces A Case Study on Dhaka City* -, International Conference on Design Decision Support Systems in Architecture and Urban Planning, 2008 Publication Type: Conference Paper View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link In this paper, we present a new multi-objective location model for urban parks and open spaces (POSs) planning. We developed a Genetic Algorithm (GA) based multi-objective optimization model (GAMOOM) to derive optimum locations of POSs by considering four incommensurable objectives with the provision of POSs near: 1) densely populated areas, 2) air polluted areas, 3) noisy areas, and 4) areas without open spaces. The success of the model is presented through its application as a case study on Dhaka City. Obtained results indicate that the model can successfully provide optimum location of required POSs. The findings from this study also signify that optimum location of POSs obtained by utilizing only the second objective is substantially different than that of others. Moreover, there is also difference in optimum location of POSs by taking into account only the third objective when compared with others. Therefore, considering single objective cannot give optimum results for good POSs planning. So, it is verified that POSs should be planned by optimizing multiple objectives instead of single objective. The outcome of this multi-objective GAMOOM model does have an implication on how POSs should be designed and managed by the planning authority for not only sustainable environment but also better quality of life in a city.
Meher Nigar Neema, Khandoker Maniruzzaman, Akira Ohgai *New Genetic Algorithms Based Approaches to Continuous p-Median Problem* Springer, Networks and Spatial Economics, 2008 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link We proposed new genetic algorithms (GAs) to address well-known p-median problem in continuous space. Two GA approaches with different replacement procedures are developed to solve this problem. To make the approaches more efficient in finding near-optimal solution two hybrid algorithms are developed combining the new GAs and a traditional local search heuristic. The performance of the newly developed models is compared to that of the traditional alternating location-allocation heuristics by numerical simulation and it is found that the models are effective in finding optimum facility locations.
Meher Nigar Neema, Farhana Ahmed, Farzana Akhter, Khandoker Maniruzzaman *An Interactive Digital Guide Map of Dhaka City* -, Institute of Town Planners, India, 2004 Publication Type: Journal Article View Summary/Abstract , Publication Link This paper describes the preparation of a GIS-based Interactive Map of Dhaka City (IMDC), incorporated with two new functions -one to search a specific named feature with automated map extent updates to maximize the display of target feature and the other to activate hotlinks to graphics and text descriptions of features. First a digital map was prepared from a paper base map and then the map was integrated with a graphical user-friendly interface consisting of different buttons, tools and documents. The developed functions were associated with new button and tool. PC ARC/INFO and ArcView were used as the basic GIS software because of their wide availability and use. By applying the first function the user can easily locate any feature on the interactive map. The second function will help the user to view images and information associated with a specific feature. The interactive map promises wide range of use in diverse applications and provides numerous options to produce productive results.