Presentation long abstract

The research examines how three urban spatial growth strategies- urban intensification, urban extensification, and decentralized peripheral densification can shape environmental sustainability in the hyper-dense cities in the Global South, using Dhaka as a case study. A mixed-method design integrates field observations, literature review, and semi-structured interviews with key informants. Multi-Criteria Analysis across seven environmental indicators shows that decentralized infrastructure-led suburban densification performs best, while core-area compact intensification performs worst. The findings reveal that in extremely dense cities, compact city models can intensify environmental degradation, whereas suburban development offers more sustainable outcomes. The study highlights the political ecological implications of density, infrastructure inequality, and uneven urban growth in Dhaka. It contributes to debates on environmentally sustainable urban growth and embedded political and power relations in Dhaka. It contributes to debates on a sustainable urban future by linking compact and polarized city theories with empirical municipal policy evaluation in the Global South.