Redesigning 17 parks and playgrounds in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Diversity and Mixture

Finding collective solutions to complex problems: Redesigning parks and playgrounds in Dhaka, Bangladesh With around 45,000 people per sqkm, Dhaka— one of the densest city on Earth—lacks open public space. The preservation and proper utilization of the existing open spaces would play a key role in making the city sustainable. Given this, Dhaka North City Corporation has taken the timely initiative of revitalizing and redesigning 17 neighborhood parks and play fields. We have joined this effort as a design consultant. Now in construction phase, these parks have been designed through active public participation right from the beginning. In order to ensure public presence in the decision making three techniques were followed: • Public opinion survey through interview, • Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) method through active group sessions, and • Mine Craft gaming software, with which the users designed the parks directly. The findings were then analyzed and tabulated in a priority list, giving a clear indication of what people want. The designs thus developed duly took into account the needs and desires of the people. We propose to present these projects in UIA RIO 2020. We would show how public participation enriches public project, how we have interpreted them in design and how we have created multi-functional spaces serving multi-generational user groups through these projects. In these parts of the world, resources are limited and needs are persistent. Through these projects we have tried to set an example of inclusion, sustainable growth, well designed and facilitated public spaces.

Volume Editors

ISBN
978-1-944214-31-9