URBANIZATION TREND AND THE SOCIO-SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION OF PERI-URBAN KHULNA, BANGLADESH

Abstract

Urbanization in the Global South has been primarily focused on achieving rapid economic growth. However, this trend has raised concerns about the impact it may have on the transformation of local spatial morphology and socio-economic functioning, especially in peri-urban areas. Despite previous efforts to explain the structure of peri-urban regions, using conceptual frameworks such as Desakota and urban fringe, there still exists a lack of understanding regarding how the morphological structure of these areas have developed responding to contextual challenges, and whether the current infrastructure-based planning interventions aimed at promoting growth may create a spatially unjust city. To address this gap, this research employed a qualitative approach to examine the effects of infrastructure-centric planning on peri-urban areas in Bangladesh, using Khulna as a case study. The research findings reveal that peri-urban areas have played a significant role in the development of a dynamic socio-spatial relationship, providing migrants with economic opportunities to use their previous skillsets for survival. Despite this, the rapid urbanization trend is causing dynamic land-labor relationships in peri-urban regions to become more rigid, which is hindering the adaptive capacity of the peri-urban landscape. To maintain Khulna's pro-migrant character and inherent adaptive capacity, the study suggests that the previous morphological pattern of the peri-urban landscape needs to be integrated into mainstream planning. Even though this landscape may seem disorganized and chaotic, it should not be dismissed as it conflicts with modern planning approaches that prioritize strict orderliness. Instead, by embracing this approach, the city can ensure that its growth trajectory is both financially feasible and equitable, while being economically sustainable on a regional level.