First Draft

Seminar 1

Yasir Rahman

ID: 18108022

Topic: A study of roof gardening in Dhaka city as a possible platform to foster greater social interaction
between neighbors.

Keywords: Roof gardening, Dhaka city, social interaction, neighborhood.

Introduction: Being the most densely populated city in Bangladesh, Dhaka has very limited open space
for its dwellers. For that reason people find the rooftop as an open space to spend their leisure time and
can exchange some fresh air. Along with that, roof gardening is emphasized as a leisure time activity
that increases the aesthetic value of the roof and environmental amelioration of the leaving space. Due
to the vertical expansion of Dhaka city, urban dwellers are having less and less interaction with their
neighbors. roof gardening on residential buildings, which has the involvement of the residents for
harvesting the garden can be considered as a possible platform for social interaction between
neighbors. So, the objective is to find is roof gardening plays an effective role to increase social
interaction and how it can be promoted to make a better community.

Literature review:

Roof gardening is a leisure time interest that includes minimum off-farm physical labor. The vegetation
contributes to decreasing thermal temperature to its on-the-spot surroundings, intercepts or appearing
as a display for dirt reservoir, abating noise pollution, decreasing reflection, etc. Nur Muhammed in his
survey shows that; the majority of roof gardeners belong to the middle class with their own homes
(75%). The lower classes are less interested in roof garden activities as they do not have their own
homes, and most of them are not Pucca buildings, even if they own. House is Not suitable for roof
gardens. Generally, only a few humans remember roof gardening commercially to get profit. Whether
roof gardening is profitable or not, when intangible benefits (e.g. recreation and other nonparametric
values) are considered it will be much higher. (Muhammed, 2004)

Social interaction refers to unique types of externalities, wherein the movements of a reference
organization have an effect on an individual`s preferences. The reference organization relies upon the
context and is generally an individual`s family, neighbors, buddies, or peers. (Petrella,2015). Husein Ali
argues by referring to Barry Wellman that, although early writers at the means of a network assumed that
attachment and social interplay arise largely inside geographically bounded areas, such territorial barriers
might not be important in present-day society. The existence of modern communication and
transportation has liberated the social connection from certain places. For those who are mobile, select
members of the social network based on the affinity of that person, not the proximity. Only those with
limited resources and mobility, such as mothers with small children at home, the elderly and sick, limit
network connectivity to nearby options. Wellman discovered that there was a specific support
relationship of. She stayed at the neighborhood level, including providing assistance in an emergency,
and suggested that the neighborhood network was a "necessary network." (Stephanie & Lavrakas, 1981)

Zareen Habiba Islam describes social interaction from a different perspective, Every town adjustment its
pattern of living, social existence of its population in conjunction with the adjustments in the housing
scenario. The liberty of breaking the proximity barrier for social networking has been given by the modern
communication and transportation at the mine time, it also limited The bond between the neighbors to
hello hi at the doorstep and the lift lobby. (Islam, 2016).

Methods: This is the first time such research of understanding social interaction on roof gardens has
been conducted from the standpoint of Dhaka Bangladesh. This study is based on data and materials
gathered from target groups through physical observation and interviews. This information will be
gathered through individual roof garden survey. The surveying has been conducted in the Maghbazer
Noyatola area of Dhaka city. Using a structured questionnaire, a survey has been conducted randomly
selecting 10 residents with roof garden in the particular area.

Roof Gardens in Dhaka city: The estimated number of buildings in Maghbazer Noyatola is about 360.
More than 85% are residencia building and 15% institution. The buildings are generally in
private ownership and few residential buildings are government official staff quarters. The survey
shows on average 36.3% of the houses are bestowed with roof gardens. (Table I)

Table I: Summary of Survey on roof gardening

Name of the zone Noyatola, Maghbazer, Dhaka.

Number of houses 360
House with roof gardens 131
House without roof gardens 229
Having garden (%) 36.3
Surveyed roof gardens 10

Purpose of roof gardening:

Roof gardening may be a recreation time action that includes negligible off cultivate physical labor.
The plants contribute to lessening warm temperature to its immediate environment, intervention
or act as a screen for dust supply, decrease clamor contamination, diminish reflection, etc. Olembo
and Rham (1987) opined that the urban regions characterized by concrete and related materials
collect warm with tall reflectance. Trees have a positive effect in improving natural conditions
(Zabala, 1990). Vegetative cover plays a dynamic part as a vehicle for reducing barometrical carbon
and thereby relieving its build-up (Sedjo, 1989; Gasp, 1994). Wenger (1984) detailed that the glare
from the sun through the window can be controlled with pot plants. Hence besides the aesthetic
and economic potential of roof cultivation, natural significance is additionally vital. The result of the
examination on the purpose of roof gardening appears in Table II.
Table II: Purpose of roof gardening:

The purpose behind raising roof garden Respondents’ agreement (%)

Leisure time 100
Physical health 55
Aesthetic value 100
Environmental amelioration 40
Luxury 10
Financial gain 10

From the survey of roof gardens in Maghbazer, the result appears that major purposes of
roof gardening are passing Leisure time (100%), Aesthetic value (100%), contributing
in natural enhancement (40%) and monetary pick up being an awfully minor concern (4% as it
were). Where 55% of them think it can improve physical health. And some of them are also find the
purpose of roof gardening as a luxury (10%). (Table II)

Roof gardening from the aspect of social interaction:

Although roof gardening is not a highly laborer-intensive work, it has been seen that almost all roof
gardens have multiple gardeners who are dwellers from the same residential building in major cases.

Figure I: Number of roof gardeners.

Number of gardeners

10% 10%

20%

60%

Single gardener Two gardeners

Three gardeners Four gardeners

Most roof gardens have two dedicated gardeners which is 60%. Some of the gardens has three active
gardeners for cultivating the roof garden (20%) and very few of them has only one or more than three
gardeners (10%). (Figure I). Almost one-third of the gardeners are female. This is the numerical value of
active gardeners who are dedicated to their gardens, the survey also shows other dwellers from the
same residential building often visit the roof garden even though they are not fully connected to the
process of cultivation. And sometimes they help the gardeners water the plants. Mostly 20% of the
dwellers are frequent visitors of the roof garden and the rest of them really have a visit to the garden.
Figure II: Frequency of visitors to roof gardeners.

Frequency of visitors

10%

30%
20%

40%

Daily Once a week

Twice a week Almost every second day

According to 40% of gardeners, they have visitors to their gardens almost twice a week. 20% say visitors
come to the garden once a week. 10% claim there are daily visitors to their roof garden. And 30% of
them get visitors almost every second day.

Categorization of visitors

30%
40%

20%
10%

Children visitor Male visitor

Female visitor Elderly visitor

Most of the visitors to the roof garden are children (40%). According to them, they come to the roof
garden because it gives them the opportunity to play with their neighboring friends in the building. Male
and Female visitors come to the roof garden to get some fresh air and relaxation. Some of them comes
to the garden as it allows them to spend some time with their neighbors.
Conclusion:

Roof garden plays a vital part within the mental well being of the cultivator and visitors as well as in
the enhancement of the physical environment. Result of the consider appears that the roof
garden has a promising potential as a small-scale social interaction center for the neighbors.

Reference

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