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Contextual Approach of Tactical Urbanism as a Tool to Mitigate Social Segregation

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Design for Partnerships for Change (UIA 2023)

Part of the book series: Sustainable Development Goals Series ((SDGS))

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Abstract

Population surge and fast-paced urbanization are continuously changing the urban landscape of the 400-year-old city, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. While people of all backgrounds experience the consequences of urban planning, it is the underrepresented community that suffers the most due to the lack of socially just public space and inclusiveness of place. This paper aims at illustrating how the combination of urban informalities, contextual reuses of public infrastructures, and user-oriented planning approach of transcending urbanism can turn into an effective chair to mitigate social segregation through an evocative, interactive, and integrated space-making enhancing accessibility for diverse community. The paper focuses on an evidence-based context study, Gulshan, planned as a high-class residential area, established in 1961, now turning into a mixed-use Central Business District (CBD), welcoming more people from all backgrounds. With the setbacks of conventional place-making approaches, the true potential of social spaces is evidently underutilized with a lack of memory or cultural value where segregation is alarming. Socially just urban civic space is needed to foster the culture of community building in busting and overpopulated cities like Dhaka. Tactical urban intervention by making proper use of demand-based multilayered “space” with efficient use of resources is essential for marginalized populations to enjoy a sense of belongingness and ownership. This paper discusses the constellation of urban elements to become interactive means for civic functionality to mitigating social segregation with cohesive connectivity between people, nature, and the built form.

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Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the support of the city people and core user group who generously took part in the survey sharing their valuable information. The author is grateful to Professor Zainab F Ali and Fuad H Mallick, who was inspiration throughout the time. I am grateful to Professor Adnan Morshed to me push boundaries and devote into scholarly researches. The intellectual input of Associate Professor Mohammad Habib Reza realized the research work effectively and efficiently. In the end, I am thankful to all the researchers, who are continuously shaping and enhancing the knowledge procreation process.

The research paper is a shortened and adjusted version of S.M. Kaikobad’s thesis submitted for Bachelor of Architecture, “Breathing Life in Space: Interaction over isolation” (2017). http://dspace.bracu.ac.bd/xmlui/handle/10361/10263.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture, Brac University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    S M Kaikobad

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  1. S M Kaikobad
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Correspondence to S M Kaikobad .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Sandi Hilal

  2. BAK (basis voor actuele kunst), Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Merve Bedir

  3. CITA (Centre for Information Technology and Architecture), The Royal Danish Academy Architecture, Design, Conservation, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen

  4. CITA (Centre for Information Technology and Architecture), The Royal Danish Academy Architecture, Design, Conservation, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Martin Tamke

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Kaikobad, S.M. (2023). Contextual Approach of Tactical Urbanism as a Tool to Mitigate Social Segregation. In: Hilal, S., Bedir, M., Ramsgaard Thomsen, M., Tamke, M. (eds) Design for Partnerships for Change. UIA 2023. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36993-3_12

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