Urban Renewal Of Inner Areas Of Old Dhaka : Harmonizing The Present Rhythm

Military Institute of Science and Technology

Project idea

Like the other part of the city in old Dhaka, the urban renewal is misunderstood as the process of demolition-reconstruction of old buildings and historical sites. Change in land use pattern, land scarcity, lack of mature theoretical guidance, and the idea of preserving the old part of the city is losing it's identity. To preserve the essence, the design process is focused on ‘Harmonizing the present rhythm: enhancing economy through revitalization’.Introducing policies for commercial districts, promoting local tourism practices are the main objectives of the project.

Project description

Historical and heritage walk are alternative tourism to enhance heritage promotion and public awareness. Heritage walks present an opportunity to reorient the city’s identity and to stage a sense of heritage in the urban environment. The design process aims to analyze the discursive, material, and political dimensions of urban heritage walks, and how practices of heritage unfold in places marked by rapidly changing urban landscapes and resident populations. It also highlights the Old Dhaka inner areas as a place with a rich history and heritage, the walk’s missing interpretive markers and scarce remnants of built heritage instead emphasize the city’s ongoing tensions between development and preservation.

The heritage walk is organized with ‘Chawk bazar- Kartalab Khan Jame Mosque- Tara mosque- Quassabatuli jame mosque- Armenian church- Becharam Deuri- Begum bazar craft market- Choto katra- Chawkbazar’ . Restoration of old buildings and use them under adaptive reuse as heritage cafes, fabric craft shops to influence tourism is formed in design.

Dhaka is a child of the Buriganga, and yet it turns its back to being part of the world’s most dynamic hydrological system. A radical reclamation of the Buriganga river and its banks on both sides is crucial for the economic, transport, and cultural reinvigoration of the oldest part of Dhaka. The river can become a sustainable life-blood, and the riverfront a much more organized condition providing renewed recreational, civic, touristic, economic, and transport opportunities for the whole city. To create an energetic and public promenade along the Buriganga river connecting both banks, the design proposes Riverfront linear park.

An appropriate riverside development will create a defined overlap between city and river, something which is now lacking. For the first phase, proper linkage of Showary ghat, Mitford ghat, and recreational ghat has been created. Walkways, ghats, community gathering area, training center, food cart-cafe, children play space, public pocket spaces, space for weekly bazar , agro cultivation, and pavilions will form components of that riverfront promenade. Generating active water-based transportation by creating ghats and stations for river buses and river taxis: By bringing travelers and tourists from other parts of the city, stations can become hubs for new economic and cultural activities in the city.

Technical information

Policies such as every friday the heritage walk program could take place,limited vehicular access on road from 6am -10am ,loading-unloading of commercial area could only take place from 11pm-6am to decrease unnecessary traffic, etc are taken to attract the public for incorporating more with the old Dhaka .
Local traditional ride ‘Ghorar gari’ is permitted on friday to experience the Old Dhaka flavor for the tourists.
To emphasize the walking route, the idea of reusing the leftover fabric of Begum bazar to create installation above the road is incorporated. This could bring back the glory of the street again and make it alive. The route has been configured by walking distance and anyone can end the tour in 30-35 minutes max.
Improvement of road, drainage system, waste management system, and awareness for preserving the heritage has been taken care of with the help of local people's participation. Also, heritage walk influences the local micro-economy by displaying local business, traditional food items, through antique, craft shops.