Participatory Urban Design Project - Dhaka City Neighborhood Upgrading Project in Bangladesh

The project aims to improve public spaces in the administrative area of the Dhaka South City Corporation.

The site that was selected for engagement was a small lake located in a densely populated neighborhood: Shahjahanpur Jheel. The place is currently in a bad condition with heavily polluted water, scarce public space and a lack of urban infrastructure. In order to understand the challenges and potentials of the space, a participatory design process was conducted that involved diverse community groups. Workshops were conducted with children, women, street vendors, and community representatives. In an on-site placemaking activity, urban furniture was built for and with the local population. In a 3-day design competition, students developed many interesting new ideas for Shahjahanpur Jheel.

More Information

This project ran from 2021-2022 with support from the World Bank and Superwein, an architectural urbanism company. To learn more about the project, go to the Superwein website or check out the  Daffodil University report on partnership for sustainable development in Bangladesh.