The community-driven project provides public spaces in the riverine city with 250,000 residents; over time, access to and use of the river and banks had become impeded. To date, the project comprises two ghats – steps leading down to platforms at the river, with adjacent walkways – and the opening of obstructed pedestrian pathways leading to them. Locally available materials such as brick and concrete were used in the simple, contextual designs, all built by local builders and masons; the site-specific projects retain all existing trees and vegetation. Future phases focus on public use of the river area with walkways, gardens, cultural facilities and environmental efforts to increase biodiversity in the river.
There are 330 Municipal Corporations in Bangladesh. Jhenaidah Municipality with 256,000 population is one of these. Here working ‘with’ people is prioritized over working ‘for’ people.
Gradually, this citywide community-led housing process gave us courage to ask that if the low-income communities can build their communities better, why can’t the citizens co-create a better city? With this question in mind, we started to discuss with different groups and encouraged them to draw, write and talk about what they aspire for the city. Different groups aspire and care for it differently. Children, teenage girls, boys, women, elderly, low-income communities, cultural groups, sports groups, business people, teachers, street vendors and many others separately shared their dreams. Then we with other interns and volunteer architects organized people’s dreams through drawings, models and other visualizations.
Together we proposed many possibilities for quality urban open spaces by the riversides and pond sides. We also proposed water gardens for biological treatment of waste water falling in river. Interestingly, when these visualizations are shared with all then these become a common dream. Eventually people pushed the local government to make it happen.
This is a self-initiated project by POCAA and Co.Creation.Architects with the citizens of Jhenaidah. It is a reflection of the collective aspirations of people. From the city co-creation workshops, rethinking the neglected and disconnected spaces along the river Naboganga got the most significance. In old days, it was a river centric city which got lost with time. When it was asked what kind of city they want the elderly group responded it firmly, “A river-centric city that will give pleasure to our eyes. When we can realize this in a small part of both sides of the river it will eventually spread citywide.” Later, many public spaces were co-designed primarily along the river.
Among the proposed projects there are numerous water gardens, small scale community ghats, pondside development as public spaces, reuse of old prison and old guest house, cultural performance spaces, nature priority spaces, public toilets and 4-kilometer walkways along the river etc.
The Naboganga river public ghat is now extensively used for all kinds of activities. Since this is a linear and wide platform it serves as a path as well as space. People use it primarily for walking, for staying in for relaxation and small cultural and political activities. Sometimes it serves as a stage when people enjoy the performance from the opposite side of the river. Often people make floating stage in the middle of the river and enjoy from both sides. This place invites boat rides which offer the opportunity to see the city again from the river.
Although this space is in the middle of the city, it was not accessible from all sides. Through the mapping process we discovered that, it was not in much use as there were many walls. Then, together with people the city authority broke some parts of the walls to make this space more permeable. Communities around this space can come here easily and are now connected through this space. Small community ghats are used extensively for everyday use of the communities, such as sitting, bathing, washing, small gathering, fishing, etc. The path along the river connects these small ghats.
“Turn your face towards the river and ponds to make Jhenaidah city better”.
If the low-income communities can build their communities better, why can’t the citizens co-create a better city?
POCAA (Platform of Community Action and Architecture) – A platform where people from different backgrounds with the interest of working for low-income communities engage with each other.
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