Architecture Commons^™

Readdressing Dhaka's Public Water Bodies: A Design Research, Sanne Peeters, Kelly Shannon

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, rampant expansion and commercial development are brutally transforming the urban tissue. As a consequence, Dhaka's water network, which was once integratedinto the city's fabric and is of major importance for its drainage capacity, is rapidly disappearing. This article critically investigates the layered meanings of water in the city through focusing on the case study of Hatirjheel Lake, Dhaka's largest inner-city water body. A number of interpretative maps dissect the rich history of the city and its water, while contemporary cartographies reveal a new set of issues as advancing urbanization fi lls in water bodies. …