Integrated Development Strategies: Key Components of Strategic Approaches

Dhaka is a megacity in terms of population. Overcrowding, poverty, informal settlement, unequal distribution of space, lack of proper planning and city development strategies, the city is posing serious threat to face the 21^st century challenges. There is no alternative way to improve our cities without a collective city vision and a strategic action plan aimed at policy and institutional reforms to survive in an increasingly competitive world. This paper focuses on integrated development strategies. Concepts related to content of strategies and plans, participative planning processes and integrative planning are analyzed. The role of transportation planning is used an example to discussed how technical integration together with financial and institutional integration could be used as a tool to gain the potential benefits of an integration approach. Overall the paper seeks to show the importance of using concepts to help develop strategies for Dhaka city beyond the boundaries of administrative, financial, institutional and disciplinary divides.