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Contextual Factors Influencing Successful Public Place Making: in Case of

Public Plazas in Dhaka City

Conference Paper · September 2017

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 Contextual Factors Influencing Successful Public Place Making: [ P-0392 ]
5. Urban Planning and Design
in Case of Public Plazas in Dhaka City
Sheikh Muhammad Rezwan1, Sadia Humayra Mounata 2* Daffodil International University, Department of Architecture, Bangladesh
Area: 10063 sft user/hour: 2000 person Area: 87782 sft user/hour: 700 person
SHAHBAG PLAZA SHAHEED MINAR PLAZA density
Abstract PANTHAPATH PLAZA Area: 24122 sft user/hour: 1800 person
density 200 person/1000sft
Supporter of Gonojagoron Moncho ( a platform to demand fair trial of war criminals, 1971) Area: 9426 sft user/hour: 800 person
8 person/1000sft
Contextual factors
Urban Plaza as major public spaces are considered as the core of cities around the density 85person/1000sft protesting the verdict of High court of War criminal 'Delwar Hossain Saidi' on 17.09.2014. TSC CIRCLE PLAZA density 85 person/1000sft
- Position of tea stall, hawker is shown Analyzing the factors that are necessary for place making,three factors
world. Dhaka city with its huge population could not provide enough plaza for the - Area of micro bus, car, rickshaw, van
dominate most in context of Dhaka.

Connectivity with adjacent activities and beyond

parking is also marked commercial
city dwellers as well as they are not carefully designed for accommodating this - Visibility problem arises due to bldg Performance on the plaza
parking and stall but creates a
density and some are still in the process of amelioration to meet the user's need. lively space
commercial
bldg
- Adjacent land use is not well Medical college Hospital The plaza overlooking TSC
The standard of making a great public place has become nullified when upon linked to the plaza. DU Library DU teacher’s
Sohrawardy DU student’s hall quarter
lacking in many aspects of key attributes found by 'Project for Public Places', those - On the western side high-
rise commercial buildings
SAARC
Fountain
These square observed
protest of young National Uddyan DU Math
l dept.
plazas in Dhaka city are relatively vibrant compared to other public places around provide shade. o n hote generation demanding Temp. flower
arg a death penalty for those market DU students
The entry level is around Son Activities on the plaza.
the world. In many research, the high density has been taken as a problem which 10’high. The plaza is visible convicted of war crimes by
the International War
museum Chilldren’s
park
hall TSC The monuments is at the
BUET teachers Seating Shading Stall/ amenities
from this level. commercial center of the design. Though
cannot be solved and by keeping it in background or ignoring it, many design bldg Crimes Tribunal, ban of
Jamaat from Bangladeshi Public library
Sohrawardy Student's protest around this view can't be seen
quarter
ica
l
Uddyan TSC and the plaza before entering the plaza. d
research has been come in conclusion. But now it is considered that density is politics, boycott of Jamaat me
Hatirjheel institutions. Shahbag
Dh
ak
a - Seating ( Mainly enclosure boundary/ planter box wall, designed seating
essential to urban life and there are a number of benefits from higher development Panthakunjo
lake Thana
is found crowded always, so more flexible seating options are needed or
densities which mostly present in the urban plazas of Dhaka city. In the era of park
On the eastern side The flower shops is the center of flower people somehow find it, that may be is not desired)
distribution to the city and outskirts. It works as an element of
expeditious urbanization, the population will increase gradually and need of public Urban Aesthetics. These shops blocks the footpath. The adjacent road of Rokeya hall and the bus stop. - Shading (Tree shade, in four plazas no designed shed is found, For
Floral wreath on 21st Feb.
plazas for a healthy urban life will become mandatory more than ever. In this excessive heat and also during rain tree shade works best)

Adjacent transport/ traffic system

- Transportation system around Plaza. Line thickness - Transportation system around Plaza. Line thickness - Transportation system around - Transportation system around
context, the main aim of this research is by taking the high density as a prime and increase as the flow of traffic increase
- Eastern side Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue is the busiest
increase as the flow of traffic increase
- The route to Karwan bazar-matijhil is the most busiest
Plaza. Line thickness increase as the Plaza. Line thickness increase as - Urban amenities ( Tea stall, spicy puffed rice, peanut hawker etc.)
flow of traffic increase
given factor, firstly to find the reconsidered factors for what makes a successful road. of all
- The main traffic route is Shahbag to
the flow of traffic increase
- Main traffic route leads to
- Frequent traffic signal - Traffic signal is frequent and sometimes the duration
public place in context of Dhaka and secondly, to create a comparison standard of - Western side (Bir Uttam C.R Dutta Road) one way as large as 25-30 minutes. DMC Polashi circle to High court-paltan Connectivity with adjacent building is not maintained in most of the case.
traffic also makes it an ideal place for resting and fresh - The pressure is continued the whole day. After 9.30 the - The road adjacent to the Rokeya hall
the factors influencing successful place making. At first extensive literature review air. roads become less busy but the public activity lasts and the plaza is almost quiet, so
- For medical facility Peoples
come from shahbag circle also It has also been found plaza’s are used as thoroughfare. Transport
has been done for comparing the factors that make different public places around - Adjacent Karwan Bazar, Basundhara City Shopping
mall is a reason of high traffic movement.
around 11pm.
- At dawn truck, pick up van, cart gathers to collect
access to the plaza is easy and safe. - In front of DMC rickshaw parking system is devoid of consideration in most case. Monuments/sculptures
- The whole DU campus is dominated
the world a successful one. Second, four Urban Plazas is investigated by - Linear parking of adjacent satellite channel is a threat
to the visibility.
flowers from shahbag.
- Due to some restrictions on vehicle in DU inside by rickshaw
and CNG stand creates jam
- Taxi and Cab stand is shown in does not play important role. Due to high density grass is difficult to
systematic observation and behavioral mapping. And then, this local findings are This plaza act as an extension of the footpath, people vehicle pressure is low but in front of museum the jam - Rickshaw parking along the edge is This plaza act as an extension of the footpath, Site plan maintain. Designed walkway does not work successfully in Dhaka, As lot
waits to catch transport, drop off zone too. extends up to TSC very common
compared and analyzed opposite to the other successful public –places. The people waits to catch transport, drop off zone too.
of people move, people move through any places they want.
outcome of this phase generalized some specific factors of Urban Plaza which Designed apertures used mainly to cross the plaza. The
apertures has no focus.
The square/plaza is enclosed by flower
shops in the east side and food stall at
- Since it is an intersection circle the
aperture is open on almost all sides.
Surrounding enclosure and apertures

stimulates activity in every plazas as well as some contextual intangible attributes South side aperture is used as garbage disposal and
urinating space, due to barricaded physical access to
western side, which attract people. But the
green space of national museum is blocked
- Only the side having the café is
blocked.
It’s not all the same
in Context of Dhaka city. the south side walkway. by this shops.
North side apertures face the nodal point, the center The transparent enclosure of national - Since the pavements of TSC is C-Square Plaza designed by The Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative
opens widely to this side that is why it is used mostly by museum is visible through the gap of food raised almost 2', the circle is visible
Literature Review people. stalls. The barrier is 6' high. and always connected with TSC. locted in Calgary, AB, Canada opened in 2016 has an area of 32000 sft. It
The physical characteristics of plazas, which can vary enormously, generally The central space is barely used. Seating of floating
- The large tree trunks created an has been designed to become a hub for urban connectivity in an urbane
enclosure too and gives this space a
include an urban space confined in terms of space and size, centrally located, and people, living in the footpath of 'Panthakunjo' is privacy from outside noise. condition. By sharing the function of train transit as a utility for movement,
observed.
laid out in such a way as to allow for a multiplicity of uses (Woolley, 2003). The and transforming it into a place of social exchange, this project
criteria selection method is adapted from a process developed by the "Project for The 30'' high planter box with reconceptualizes infrastructure, as the opportunity to influence
Public Spaces"
sufficient depth encourage for
different activity. Seating, gossip,
Enclosure height is very low and the plaza at
different level makes the monument more prominent
conditions of social spaces and construct inimitable spatial experiences.
selling, sleeping etc. and the enclosure seems to be much lower.
The enclosure works as a seating. Seating height has - The enclosure works as a
variation. Sloped planter maximum height is 5 feet which is seating. Different posture is seen
used vibrantly after evening, people climb to sit, which was in the photographs.

CANADA
not designed as a seating though. - The enclosure works as a
seating. Group activity
- The stair is also used as seating
Walkway and movement pattern Seating

The enclosure works as a seating. Seating height has variation. Sloped planter - The roadside island of 14'' high used for seating of fuchka shops.
maximum height is 5 feet which is used vibrantly after evening, people climb to sit, - The planter box work as a seating though they are not ergonomically right (5'' depth).
which was not designed as a seating though.
But people will sit there anyhow.

DHAKA
- The plaza is used as a - The movement pattern of people is very high - The plaza is used as a - The plaza is visited by new comer every day.
thoroughfare to reach the - DU, BSMMU, Ibrahim Cardiac, Aziz Super Market, thoroughfare to TSC - Group of people move the whole compound
adjacent Karwan Bazar. Shishu Park acts as magnet location for user easily. - People uses the plaza to avoid long distance
- The plaza work as a drop
off zone of the public - Frequent road crossing of pedestrian during traffic signal - After class students of the corner In this project designers invisible hand is omni present. In case of highly
- Afternoon movement is almost thrice if compared to regularly meet at this - During 21st February the area is controlled
transportation service.
- On Friday to reach daytime movement place by civil defense and two entrance is used as
dense Dhaka city, people’s activity is the first thing that comes in mind.
mosque on the opposite - DU becomes the center of socialization space. The public - some users are regular entry and exit separately Comparing with the designed neat line of C square plaza, in Dhaka the
side of the road people library, national museum organize events to come. - Lot of students studying nearby schools and
use this plaza.
colleges visit the premise
lines get blur by the amenities and activities. The organic growth of retail
facility is very prominent here. Since Canada is cold country, they enjoy
the Sun heat, opposite to Dhaka. High humidity and heat demands
shading. The seating facility in Dhaka is challenged by the floating people
and maintenance, so most often it's the seat wall where you sit, not in a
bench. The plaza is also well connected with the adjacent structures
Different research literatures also mention the which is quite absent in Dhaka. So context is very important in making a
importance of these five physical features and
Shading

Panthapath Plaza Small hedge of the four planter box provides shade. The previous picture shows large Natural shading of trees Natural shading of trees Natural shading by trees. Big trees provide shade. No grass due to shade. In the sand successful plaza other than generalizing some fixed points.
corroborate the following outcomes: trees at node, which has been cut down due to the design. But it is felt that the plaza
children plays with marble ball. People take rest and socialize in the shade.
a. A good sense of enclosure (Collins, Collins, & Sitte,
can be more live if it had large trees which give shadows and cool the environment.
References
The ratio of green: built in The ratio of green: built is The ratio of green: built is 55:45.
2006; Moughtin, 2003; Stamps, 2005b, 2005c); 1. Kaplan, S. and Kaplan, R. 1987, Humanscape:
Ratio of green/pavements

The ratio of green: built is 55:45. The green is this plaza is 15:85. The 70:30. Since the movement of There are many large trees and
b. The height of the surrounding enclosure (in respect sloped towards the road. At afternoon people green space of national students is very high the grass. People sit on the grass,
Environments for People,Ulrich's Books, Inc, Ann Arbor,
seat on this green slope, gossip and eat. The museum and Sohrawardi surfaces are not green. There which was not seen in the other
to width; Cullen, 2007; Mehta, 2009; Stamps, 2005c); pavement at central space is used as play uddan contribute a lot. are variety of trees in this plaza. The trees act as a
area by the street children at different time. Michigan
c. A good coverage of vegetation, greenery, and Shops provide shade too. plaza including background too as the adjacent

naturalness (Galindo & Rodríguez, 2000; Herzog,

People sit on the east
side of shops. See
banyon,mehogoni, Shegun,
Shimul, Bokul etc. The trees
DMC building creates obstruction
to a clear view.
2. Hellen Woolley, 2003: Urban Open Space
3.Whyte, W. H. (2007). “Introduction”, “The Life of Plazas,”
Maguire, & Nebel, 2003; Nasar, 1998); behavior mapping give different emotions in

d. The inclusion of water features and fountains

diagram different climate.
“Sitting Space” and “Sun, Wind, Trees, & Water.” In M.
Main urban amenities provided here are teal stalls, juice Main urban amenities provided here are Fuchka The TSC cafeteria, Ice cream Main urban amenities provided
(Moughtin, 2003; Whyte, 2007; Woolley, 2003); & stall, fast food stall, dry food, movable tea carrier etc. shops (with plastic chair seating and seating in seller, movable van, tea seller here are teal stalls, juice stall, Larice and E. Macdonald (Eds.), The urban design reader
Urban amenities

e. Presence of monuments or sculptures (Lynch,
2007; Mehta, 2009).
However, this research only included the tangible
visual characteristics that influence visual qualities of
architectural elements and did not include intangible
Shahbag Plaza
Shading of the adjacent buildings make the place ideal island too) teal stalls, juice stall, fast food stall, dry etc. Frequent promotional movable tea carrier, movable
to use these amenities. food, movable tea carrier, book shops, weight activities of different companies 'velpuri' seller etc. Shading of the (pp. 348-363). London, England: Routledge.
machine, map selling etc. A large number of people are performed in here. Different trees make the place ideal to use
buy flowers from here due to cheap rate and
freshness of the flower, bridal car decoration.
meeting, procession starts from
here.
this amenities. Acknowledgements or Contact Information
TSC Circle Plaza T h e m o n u m e n t i s t i t l e d The monument is about 31' high from the plaza, the plaza is itself around 10' high Some portion of this study was done under BUET Masters course:
"SOPARJITO SHADHINOTA" from ground. It is used as a symbol of struggle and protest.
Urban Design Practices in 2015 under Prof. Qazi Azizul Mowla
Monuments/ sculptures

The monument is about 25'

beside TSC Cafeteria. Artist:
high, used as police booth and
mediating factors that might influence cognitive toilet. Provision of lighting at
Shamim Shikdar. It is about 15' Sheikh Muhammad Rezwan, Sr. Lecturer, Dept. of Architecture, DIU
high, depicting the incidents of
emotional appraisal, such as order, coherence, night is there. The proportion of
our Liberation war1971. The Sadia Humayra Mounota, Sr. Lecturer, Dept. of Architecture, DIU
the fountain is a matter of
complexity, or legibility (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1982; Shaheed Minar Plaza
The monument is about 35' high, used as an advertisement purpose. Provision of unaware decision, it blocks the
white sculpture with green
vegetation underneath create a Tel: +88-01675633199, +88-01722000302
Nasar, 1998; Russell, 2003). lighting at night is there. Though it is the center of the design, but pedestrians main nodal view. There is a digital
contrast and focus.
Location of the Four plaza circulation is not through the center, so it is ovelooked screen on the top side. e-mail:rezwan.arch@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd,s.h.mounata1302@gmail.com
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