How Many People Should Live in an Area?

Dhaka is getting more crowded every year, with high-rise buildings replacing many low-rise homes and open spaces. But the question is no longer only how many people the city can accommodate. It is whether neighbourhoods have enough infrastructure and services to support the people living there.

Housing density is generally measured by the number of people or residential units within a specific area. Population density usually refers to the number of people per square kilometre, while housing density may refer to the number of homes or apartments within a given area. But neither measure alone can tell whether a neighbourhood is livable.

International urban planning shows that high density is not necessarily a problem. UN-Habitat has identified around 15,000 people per square kilometre or more as one benchmark for compact urban neighbourhoods. However, this is not a universal limit. Such density is expected to work together with adequate streets, public spaces, mixed land use, connectivity and public transport.

The experience of Dhaka shows why a single population figure cannot determine whether an area is overcrowded. According to the 2022 Population and Housing Census, Dhaka South City Corporation had around 4.3 million people and was the most densely populated city corporation in the country, with about 39,400 people per square kilometre.

But the average figure does not show the differences between neighbourhoods. Some areas can have extremely high population density while others within the same city corporation can have much lower density.

This is why planners need to look beyond population numbers. The number of apartments per acre, building height, floor area, road capacity and amount of open space are also important.

For example, high-rise buildings can accommodate many people on a relatively small amount of land. This can make land use more efficient. But if the number of residents increases without adequate roads, parking, water supply, drainage, schools, hospitals and emergency access, high density can create serious pressure on the neighbourhood.

Open space is another key issue. Parks, playgrounds, walking areas and green spaces become increasingly important as population density rises. A neighbourhood filled with buildings but without sufficient public space may provide housing but offer a poor living environment.

The same applies to roads and public transport. More apartments mean more residents and potentially more daily trips. If the road network and public transport do not expand with population growth, congestion can increase. Emergency services may also face difficulties reaching high-density residential areas.

Water, sanitation and waste management must also be considered before allowing large-scale residential development. A new apartment project may add thousands of residents, but the surrounding infrastructure must have enough capacity to serve them.

Dhaka’s Detailed Area Plan (DAP) 2022-2035 has recognised the importance of area-based density planning. The planning framework considers factors such as existing population, land use, infrastructure and civic facilities rather than applying one density level to every part of the city.

The revised DAP-related regulations also set different gross-density limits for different types of areas. For new public and private residential projects, a maximum gross density of 250 people per acre has been specified, subject to planning and infrastructure requirements.

Therefore, the question should not simply be how many people can be accommodated in a particular area. The more important question is **how many people can live there safely and comfortably with adequate urban services.**

A well-planned high-density neighbourhood can provide housing for more people while supporting public transport, local shops and services. But unplanned density can lead to congestion, pressure on utilities, lack of open space and declining quality of life.

The future of urban housing, therefore, should not be about keeping population density simply low or high. It should be about achieving the **right density for the capacity of each neighbourhood**.

In the end, a successful residential area is not one that accommodates the largest number of people. It is one that can provide those people with adequate space, services, mobility, safety and a healthy living environment.