Urban planner

1. About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

ADPC is an autonomous intergovernmental organization with a vision to reduce disaster and climate risk impacts on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific by working with governments, development partners, international organizations, NGOs, civil society, private sector, media, and other key stakeholders.

Established in 1986 as a technical capacity building center, ADPC has grown and diversified its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. With over 100 staff from 19 different nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise from atmospheric scientists to social scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner. ADPC is a competent regional resource center and has seven thematic departments: ADPC Academy, Risk Governance, Climate Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management, Preparedness for Response and Recovery, Geospatial Information. These are supported by Finance, Human Resources and Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. In addition to the departments, ADPC works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Poverty and Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working committees.

ADPC Strategy 2020 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC recognizes the importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change and regional cooperation.

For details please refer to ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/

2. Introduction of the project

Rajshahi Metropolitan Development Plan (RMDP), 2004-2024 was prepared in 2004 under the project “Preparation of Master Plan”. The project was financed by the Government of Bangladesh. Finally, the Plan Documents were approved by the Government and published in the Bangladesh Gazette under the notification of SRO no. 177-law/2005, dated 15 June, 2005. This plan includes Strategic plan and Structure Plan (for twenty years, i.e. 2004-2024), Functional Master Plan (for ten years, i.e. 2004-2014) and Detail Area Plan. Now, Rajshahi City and its adjacent areas have been developing according to the direction of these Plans. Present Functional Master Plan includes physical development and land-use zoning plan. In Land-use zoning plan there are nineteen individual zones for residential, commercial, industrial etc. Though, this zoning plan is designed in a very optimistic way but it does not include natural hazards as a factor when determining appropriate allocation of land uses and related policy for the management of land resources.

Rajshahi is situated in the north bank of the Padma River and faces drought even during monsoon period. At the same time, due to illegal land filling and encroachment of wetlands, the adjacent city areas are now at risk to regular flooding even after small rain. Again, a seismic vulnerability assessment survey done by the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) in 2014 has found the city moderately vulnerable to earthquake. According to the survey result about 3000 buildings within the city will be either completely destroyed or extensively damaged if any fault within the country causes earthquake. Considering the disastrous effects of these hazards, it is essential that land use planning accounts for natural hazards and becomes ‘risk-sensitive’. Such a goal is supported by the Bangladesh Sixth Five Year Plan (2011-2015) which emphasizes the need for disaster preparedness, the usefulness of vulnerability and risk assessments, including hazard and risk mapping, and the effectiveness of reducing disaster risk through risk-based land use planning. Considering all RDA has decided to revise its Functional Master Plan and to integrate disaster risk reduction system into the plan.

Moreover, RMDP has validated the Functional Master Plan till 2014. Therefore, to continue the guided development of the city RDA would need a new functional Master Plan by 2015, which will continue up to 2024. Hence, the preparation of New Functional Master Plan (2015-2024) should be started in advance so that RDA can have a Functional Master Plan by 2015. Along with that to translate the policies of structure plan and development proposals of the functional master plan a detailed area plan has also needed to be prepared for the city.

Primary Objective of the project is to attain the vision of RMDP, 2004-2024, that is “creation of an urban livable environment where the people, able and/or disable, irrespective of age-sex and income, cast-creed and religion, can live and enjoy today within affordable means without sacrificing interests of the tomorrow. To achieve the vision the supporting objectives of the projects are:

- To review the existing plan and identify the success, failure and adjustments of plan since last 10 years and sketch out the present scenario of the project area.
- To identify the Multi hazard risk of project area and assess its vulnerability.
- To formulate a Disaster Risk sensitive Functional Master Plan including physical
development plan and Land-use Zoning.
- To formulate detailed planning proposals and urban design to apply the policies of structure plan and development proposals of the functional master plan of RMDP (20042014).
- To sketch out short- and long-term multi-sector investment plans on priority basis through participatory method.
- To review the present monitoring and implementation system of the plan and prepare an implementation tool to strengthen the implementation capacity of RDA as well as prepare a monitoring body to ensure the guided development recommended by the plan.

3. Statement of Intent

The Urban planner (Consultant) will provide technical support to implement the project on “Revision of Functional Master Plan and Detailed Area Plan to make Rajshahi Metropolitan Development Plan (RMDP) Disaster Risk Sensitive” and he/she will be attached to ADPC Rajshahi Project Office (RPO). The duties and responsibilities of this position are listed in Section D.

Note:

It is not the intent of this Terms of Reference to cover every aspect of the position requirements, rather to highlight the most important areas of personal and joint responsibilities.

4. Duties and Responsibilities

- Lead analytical review of implementation status of Master Plan for the city of Rajshahi prepared in 1968 and 1984.

- Conduct in-depth review and evaluate the implementation status of RMDP during 2004 to 2018; Analyze the success and failures, adjustment and deviations of RMDP; Identify the major gaps and challenges etc.; and prepare the report/working paper on Review on RMDP.

- Lead analytical review to set Land Use Classifications for RDA area. The updated land use survey for the project should be based on the classifications;

- Prepare reports/working paper on land use and relevant studies,

- Lead analytical review to set Planning standard applicable for RDA area (including Municipalities and Union Parishads). Ensure that the planning standards are in the light of the current regulations and standard;

- Conduct Analytical review for New towns or urban settlements where development is to be phased over time;

- Conduct analytical review on the areas likely to be affected by major industrial, communications or other development schemes;

- Conduct analytical review to Identify areas where the land is presently underutilized and yet is suitable for housing and other uses, to ensure that land is made available to meet effective future demand;

- Conduct analytical review to Ensure patterns and intensities of development are coordinated and compatible between existing and proposed areas of development and redevelopment to ensure that new development makes most efficient use of an area’s resources/facilities/services (like RDA, NHA initiated residential areas) to avoid potential conflicts;

- Conduct analytical review to ensure the balance of agriculture (mango, lichi, rice etc.) compatible development for sustainable economy and environmental harmony;

- Analyze the demand of future land-use in respect of housing, commerce, industry, recreation etc.

Field Visit and Meeting Attendance

- Ensure the presence and work in Rajshahi as and when necessary.

- Ensure presence in all TMC Meeting.

- Field visit to lead stakeholder consultations with relevant stakeholders;

- Present the results on Urban Planning Related studies and assessment to Technical Management Committee (TMC) during meetings;

Deliverables

a) Oversee the preparation of the interim report on all sectoral studies, including Multi-hazard Vulnerability and Risk Analysis Report for Rajshahi Metropolitan Development Plan.

b) Oversee the submission of final interim report on all sectoral studies including Multi-hazard Vulnerability and Risk Analysis Report for Rajshahi Metropolitan Development Plan.

c) Oversee the preparation and submission of the Draft Final Report and coordinate all input from the respective Experts.

d) Oversee the preparation and submission of the Final Report, ensuring that data has been validated, information verified and copy-editing completed in accordance with the ADPC style guide and/or requirements of the client

e) Prepare training modules and assist in the delivery of safer cities training modules aimed at capacity building for risk sensitive urban planning.

f) Provide inputs into the urban study, including development of an assessment with a set of practical indicators, that assist in prioritizing urban resilience infrastructure financing.

g) To prepare the Monitoring Plan guideline and

h) To prepare the Project Completion Report (Plan Book) for RMDP.

Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor.**

5. Requirements

Education

- He/she should have a master’s or a PhD' degree in urban & Rural/Regional Planning/Physical Planning

Work Experience

- A minimum of 10 years of substantive work experience in preparation master plan/ land use plan/urban development plan at local and regional level.
Work experience in urban disaster risk management and risk sensitive land use plan development is desirable.
Personal Qualities

- Uses writing skills to develop technical reports and progress reports.
- Follows up with others to ensure that agreements and commitments have been fulfilled.
- Works cooperatively with others, inside and outside the organization, to accomplish objectives to build and maintain mutually-beneficial partnerships, leverage information, and achieve results.
- Develops new insights into situations and applies different and novel solutions to make improvements.
Plans and organizes work activities; manages several tasks at once.

Languages

Fluency in Bengali and English is required.

6. Reporting

The Urban Planer (Consultant) will report to the Director of Urban Resilience Department at ADPC and perform day-to-day activities (as mentioned in Section 4) in close coordination with the Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader and the ADPC’s Country Representative in Bangladesh. The technical oversight will be provided by the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader of the project. The urban planner would also coordinate with the other team members of the project to carry out different activities under the project.

7. Duration of the Contract

The contract duration is about Nine (09) months from October 2020 to 30th June 2021.

8. Duty Station

Rajshahi, Bangladesh **

9. Selection Method

A consultant will be selected in accordance with ADPC’s recruitment and/or capacity assessment process.