Kathmandu is experiencing rapid urban growth, with its population nearly doubling in the past decade. This trend has been accompanied by densification in inner-city traditional settlements and in newer peripheral settlements facing urban growth and expansion pressures. However, most urban growth and densification are being accommodated haphazardly in the absence of appropriate and enforceable zoning bylaws and building regulations. In practice, land owners and private developers often build beyond legal limits in response to housing shortages, particularly among low-income renters.