Are we safe in the city's urban architecture?

Dhaka as an example, a city with almost 23 million people, is a good example of how quickly cities are growing in Bangladesh. Dhaka is a very busy city, but many of its built environments, like housing, public places, and commercial areas, are dangerous to the people they are supposed to help. As building deadlines get closer, these structures often forget the most important purpose of architecture: to provide safety, comfort, and humility. A closer look shows that a lot of Dhaka's design seems to put money before people. This brings up an important question: are we safe in our built environment? Can we return to a healthier, people-centred approach?

One of the most important problems in Dhaka is that safe, green public places are hard to get to. Most parks and recreation places in cities are either hard to get to because they are poorly planned or dangerous because they aren't well-lit, aren't examined, or aren't well laid out. 

As an example, Suhrawardy Udyan is a big public park right in the middle of Dhaka. Unfortunately, this famous park that stands for history and freedom turns into an unwelcoming place at night. Residents who just want to go for a walk or relax after work find the area scary because it's not adequately illuminated and there isn't much security. Women, kids, and the old often have to stay away from these areas completely, which makes them feel even more alone in the city and shows how uneven safety and access are in cities.

TBS Sketch

While public places like Suhrawardy Udyan are meant to be fun and social, a lot of residential areas have major design problems that make them unsafe and unhealthy. Rapid apartment blocks in Dhaka's spread neighbourhoods have led to buildings that don't always take basic things like fire safety, structural stability, and air into account. The terrible FR Tower fire in Banani in 2019 brought this issue to light in the saddest way possible, killing 25 people and showing how deadly carelessness can be. The accident showed problems like not having fire escapes, stairs that are too narrow, and not being ready for situations in general. Unfortunately, these kinds of deaths show how important safety is when designing buildings. However, Dhaka's rapid growth has made it so that rules are often broken, putting quick money over the safety and well-being of residents.

The fact that Dhaka's infrastructure doesn't help its most vulnerable people is another worrying thing. In many buildings and outdoor areas, accessibility is still a big problem. Take the case of Rahman, a wheelchair-bound resident of Dhaka who has a hard time getting around every day because the pavements are narrow, poorly kept and often blocked. Public places like schools, hospitals, and government offices don't usually have the right equipment to help disabled people do things that should be easy for them to do on their own. There is a bigger problem with architectural planning that doesn't take people into account: Dhaka wants to be a great city, but it doesn't have a simple inclusive design.

Dhaka is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and the lack of greenery in the city makes these problems worse. The building boom has turned green areas into concrete buildings, which is bad for the mental health of residents, the air quality, and the biodiversity of cities. Green design is important for making places that are healthy and less polluting. One project that shows how this kind of planning can make things better is Hatirjheel, which took a neglected canal and turned it into a lively public space. But even though the project made the city look better and cut down on pollution, it also showed how important it is to keep and grow open spaces all over the city to make healthy, balanced cities.

By using environmental experience design (EXD) ideas, it is possible to make spaces safer and more inclusive. EXD is a new idea in a building that focuses on making places that are good for people's mental and physical health. This method considers things like natural light, airflow, temperature, comfort, and the layout of the space, realising that these all influence how people feel. For instance, a well-thought-out hospital in Dhaka could include green areas, natural light, and noise-reducing materials to help people heal, just like hospitals in other parts of the world have done. Research shows over and over that well-designed places help patients heal faster and feel less stressed. Dhaka could use an EXD method to make its schools, hospitals, and other public buildings into places that encourage health, safety, and connecting with others.

Dhaka's architecture often shows how unequal the city's social and economic conditions are. The construction of high-end apartments next to informal settlements and huge shopping malls across from crowded street markets is a marked difference. These differences damage people's safety and sense of value, making public areas feel more like problems than helpful places for everyone. We see this difference clearly in the story of Shirin, a garment worker who lives with her family in a one-room flat. Her block is in a busy part of Old Dhaka and doesn't have simple amenities like clean water or good ventilation, which puts her family at health risk. Shirin's story shows that design is more than just building things; it should also be about making lives safe and respectable.

Because of these problems, some architects and urban planners in Bangladesh are looking into new ways to make the built world safer and more humane. This includes designing buildings that use less energy, reusing old buildings in new ways, and using natural elements in the design. For example, some architects are now focussing on making community-focused places in areas with a lot of homes. They are doing this by adding things like rooftop gardens, community rooms, and play areas that are safe for kids. These small but effective treatments help people feel like they belong and improve their quality of life by getting them to interact with others and stop being alone.

Also, both government and private developers can learn from great examples around the world to make Dhaka's architecture safer and more open to everyone. To cut down on crime in cities, many countries, including Japan and the US, use the idea of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). CPTED can make Dhaka's public places safer by focusing on things like natural surveillance, controlled access, and activity support. This will make these areas more welcoming and safer for everyone. Using the same methods in Dhaka's parks, transit stops, and busy market areas could make the city a lot safer.

Dhaka can become a model of human-centred and resilient urban growth by placing safety, diversity, and environmental awareness at the top of the list when designing buildings. Small changes, like making sure high-rises are safe, making public places easier to gain access to, and promoting green spaces, can have a big effect on the city's future over time. By using thoughtful, human architecture, Dhaka can become a city where people not only live but also grow, changing the way people feel safe and welcome in cities for future generations.

Dr Sajal Chowdhury is an architect, educator at the Department of Architecture, CUET and researcher focusing on Environmental Experience Design, Architectural Science and Well-being.