Dhaka never sleeps, but not always for the best reasons. Behind Dhaka's busy and lively streets, a serious problem is growing quietly. People are becoming less caring and more mentally stressed, mostly because of poor and disorganized city planning.
The built environment, once meant to serve people, is increasingly becoming a source of psychological strain and social fragmentation.
As an urban planner, I believe the soul of a city is nurtured in the everyday lives of its people. A well-planned city is not just efficient; it is humane. It is a space where individuals can thrive physically, socially, and emotionally. Unfortunately, in Dhaka, we are witnessing the opposite.
The city is expanding in a planning vacuum, zoning is erratic, transportation systems are disjointed, and green spaces are fast disappearing. The result is urban chaos: Congestion, noise pollution, poor air quality, informal settlements, and growing inequality. This is not just a logistical issue -- it is a psychological one.
Every day, millions of residents in our capital wake up not knowing what new urban hurdle awaits them: A traffic jam that triples their commute, a blocked drain flooding their neighbourhood, an illegal high-rise blotting out daylight, or a sudden eviction notice without consultation. These are not just infrastructure issues; they are emotional stressors, and they are reshaping our social behaviour in disturbing ways.
Political instability has added yet another layer of hardship. Frequent demonstrations, student protests, and political gatherings often block major arteries of the city, places like Shahbagh, Farmgate, or Paltan, paralyzing traffic for hours. For the young worker already battling a long and exhausting commute, these blockades turn the daily journey into an unpredictable ordeal.
Time that could be spent with family, pursuing education, or resting is instead wasted in gridlock. This constant uncertainty deepens frustration, drains productivity, and chips away at mental well-being, leaving people trapped not only by concrete and congestion, but also by instability.
What do the numbers say?
According to a 2022 World Bank and BRTA study, Dhaka residents endure average one-way commutes that exceed 60 minutes; many spend up to three hours on the road each day. The economic cost is staggering: The city loses over 8 million working hours daily to congestion, draining productivity and deepening mental fatigue.
Traffic speeds have plummeted from 21km/h in 2007 to as low as 4.8km/h by 2022, making Dhaka one of the slowest cities in the world. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent lived loss.
In such an environment, sensitivity becomes a luxury, and compassion fades behind survival instincts. Daily disputes over parking, petty road rage incidents escalating into violence, and a general rise in crime are symptoms of this systemic stress. Public spaces where people once gathered-parks, playgrounds, sidewalks-have either vanished or been privatized.
Without shared spaces, there is no shared sense of community. Urban planning that ignores social interaction produces cities where people live beside each other, but never with each other. And when people are isolated in crowds, they grow numb.
Crime, too, has links to this urban chaos. Criminology studies increasingly point to correlations between disorganized urban growth and rising crime rates. In Dhaka, areas with poor lighting, disconnected roads, and high population density often become hotspots for theft, assault, or even organized crime. When people feel abandoned by the system, some inevitably begin to act outside it.
The connection between urban chaos and mental health is undeniable. Studies worldwide show how badly designed cities amplify anxiety, depression, and even aggression. In Dhaka, this relationship is playing out in real time. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If people can build cities, they can rebuild them for people, too. Dhaka urgently needs a human-centred approach to urban planning -- one that prioritizes livability, community, and mental well-being.
We need a paradigm shift -- from building cities around infrastructure to shaping them around people. We must reimagine urban planning not just as a technical exercise, but as a human one. Development must prioritize livability, walkability, and dignity for all users, not just vehicle owners or commercial developers.
What do we actually need?
Mixed-use developments anchored around efficient, accessible public transport to reduce commute times and stress.
Sidewalks, zebra crossings, and safe walkways as essentials, not afterthoughts.
Parks, tree-lined roads, and river restoration projects to balance the concrete landscape and provide mental health relief. Parks, plazas, and pedestrian zones are not luxuries, they are necessities for healing urban life.
Citizens must be part of the process. Without public input, we risk designing cities for cars and buildings, not for people.
Proper land use management can reduce overcrowding, balance residential and commercial areas, and prevent illegal encroachments.
Strengthening other urban centres to relieve pressure on Dhaka.
Designate dedicated rally zones away from major traffic routes, equipped with proper facilities and easy public transit access, to minimize disruption while respecting citizens’ right to protest.
As citizens, we must demand a city that functions and nurtures. And as planners and policymakers, we must remember that cities are not machines, they are ecosystems of emotions, interactions, and relationships. If we fail to recognize this, Dhaka will not just grow, it will decay.
Urban planning should never be about controlling cities -- it should be about caring for people. Dhaka needs the combined efforts of planners, policymakers, and citizens to acknowledge the deep psychological and social fractures caused by poor planning.
This is not just about roads and buildings. It is about trust, empathy, dignity, and the invisible yet vital human connections that make a city livable. Until we start building for those, Dhaka will continue to grow -- but at the cost of its soul. So, the time to redesign Dhaka for its citizens, not just its infrastructure, is now.
Mowtushi Poit is an assistant professor at Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management (BIGM).
