Shahid Dr Fazle Rabbi Park: An ideal example of an urban community park

It was 10am on a warm, sunny morning. The north entrance of the Dr Fazle Rabbi Park at Niketan was not very busy, but it was not deserted either.

Some elderly people were jogging, some were exercising on the grass, while others were resting under the tree shades or just sitting idle on the benches. Everything around them had a vibe of 'new'.

Manzur Kader Khan, a retired police official, was taking intervals between exercising and relaxing, to pick some of the bright red Shimul flowers from under the tree.

"This park is our life; you cannot imagine how dear it is to the people living around this area," he said. His face was saying it all - he was enjoying his time to the fullest.

From the Bir Uttam Mir Shawkat Road heading towards the Gulshan 1 circle – the first aspect of the park that may pique your interest is the transparent wall.

According to the expert team behind its installation, this unique wall is to protect the users from the roadside sound pollution, which often exceeds the safe limit of sound level.

It consists of high-quality German acrylic sheets, and is designed in a way that the air flow, regardless of the season, would not be hampered.

In addition, 'bird safety strips' have been added to the wall for zero aerial interruptions.

Quite a new concept for Dhaka residents. When asked about it, Khan had only positive things to say. "This is an amazing inclusion. It shields the park from roadside cacophony and dust – and we still get plenty of airflow inside."

The renewed Shaheed Dr Fazle Rabbi Park is an important addition to the very few breathing spaces in a traffic and building-clogged living hell that is Dhaka. It stands out among a number of recent-built community-oriented urban parks existing in the capital.

This park is our life; you cannot imagine how dear it is to the people living around this area" - Manzur Kader Khan, a police official

What is an 'ideal urban park'?

In the 1989 book 'Public Places and Spaces' (Springer, MA) – urban researcher Dr Jeff Hayward wrote, "Urban parks are community assets. They provide a convenient setting for a broad variety of leisure and recreational activities, as well as enhancing the image and perceived value of the community."

Specifically, the design intentions and social purposes of urban parks are critical, because anti-social behaviour, if persistent at an urban community, is expected to spill over the nearby urban park(s).

Peter Katz, a New York-based community planning expert, recommended five criteria for a "true urban public place" –

1. location (at the centre of a neighbourhood),
2. 'publicness' (streets, walkways, and civic buildings around),
3. simple, and not "overdone", design covering only the basic needs,
4. retaining natural contours of the land,
5. allowing users to see through (not too many visual obstacles)

Urban parks need not be huge – many of them around the world are actually pretty small (a local example is the award winning Rasulbagh Park at Lalbagh, Dhaka, an international example may be the Altab Ali Park in the Whitechapel metropolitan area in London, UK). But they need to be well-planned while covering some common grounds – lands and walkways, enough greenery, sitting areas – so that they can accommodate people of all ages and economic classes within urban communities (wards, for instance) of a city.

A quick tour of the park

Once you enter through the semi-spiral gateway, a walkway invites you. Following the walkway, either to the left or right, it would take about 10-15 minutes to complete circling the entire park.

The artificial reservoir lacks water due to the season. A narrow bridge on the top connects the south and east sides of the park. This is the only part of the park that seems to be slightly incomplete.

At the north end of the service block, there is a small artificial 'hill'. You can take the staircase to reach the top, or just climb it. The hilltop is concrete laden for people to stand and enjoy a bird's eye view.

Throughout the park, there are branches from the walkways that lead to two huge trees at the centre. There is no café, amusement corners, or any such eccentric additions.

A bunch of trees, benches, greenery, nice walkways - the design of the park is simple and minimalistic, at least for now, just as how a modern day urban park should be.

New features and amenities for visitors

The park was closed for more than two years, throughout the Covid-19 pandemic – due to maintenance. Strong complaints on the delay in reopening were frequent.

Prior to this, the park grew unplanned. Amenities were limited – a few sheds and concrete benches, while drug abusers were turning the park into their hub.

The renovated park finally resumed in late 2023 – and the park was officially inaugurated on 1 February 2024.

An expert team led by Professor Dr Nazmul Imam of the architecture department at BUET carried out all the brainwork and design before construction was taken up.

Based on surveys, research, public interactions, and active engagement of stakeholders – the team planned the design in detail.

The new design includes nice-looking wooden benches on metal frames – inside and on the footpath outside the park. The latter, despite being commonplace in modern cities around the world, is unique in the context of Dhaka.  

Pedestrians are often seen chilling-out on these outside benches.

The greenery has been tuned for better visual comfort of the users. On one side, a wide terrain can be seen – which during the monsoon will turn into a grass-covered green meadow.

Aggressive and hazardous tree species have now been replaced by local medicinal plants. The walkways have been rebuilt using pavement tiles for a smoother walking experience.

On the south-west side, a service block has been built with separate washrooms for males and females, a baby corner for nursing, and a first-aid corner.

There are facilities for freehand exercises, a rainwater reservoir changing its appearance based on the season, a bridgeway, and overhead sprinklers for simulating rainfall for efficient dust reduction.

A breath of fresh air in the concrete jungle

Amid a time when Dhaka is constantly being ranked as the most polluted city in the world, an initiative like this park is uber important in many aspects.

Urban parks give the locals opportunity to socialise - which does not really happen in confined spaces like restaurants.

The true form of relaxation, by giving in to nature and simply being yourself, is what these parks are for - as research suggests urban parks help improve mental well-being.

In terms of environmental benefits, a research covering 26 Chinese metropolitan cities suggested that about 9 out of 10 local urban parks helped cooling the surrounding areas to about 2 degree celsius.

In a capital that has seen the temperature exceeding 40 degrees celsius in the last couple of years, more parks will be required.

Hisham Chisty, an urban planning expert, was part of the consulting team for the production of 2022-2035 detailed area plan (DAP) for Dhaka.

He said, "If the DAP can be properly implemented, the capital will likely see a homogeneous distribution of public parks across the city."

For instance, Chapter 6 of the DAP booklet suggests that for every 12,500 individuals - one acre of parkspace would be allotted.

He shared his own experience on Dr Fazle Rabbi Park, "I went there once after the inauguration. Really nice, a standard community park - the barrier looked odd though. It is effective in reducing noise, but I believe dense gathering of trees would have worked equally well."

Evenings are busier than mornings

Between 5 pm and the evening is the time when the rush sets in.

We spotted an expatriate woman of east Asian descent jogging while on a video call. This is a usual scene, by the way - foreigners come here, often in families.

You will rarely find a bench available around this time of the day.

The grounds were occupied by children, teenagers, and adults. Some were playing cricket, others football - some even badminton.

Two young adventure-aspirants were seen trying to climb the hill. On the top, people were sitting and glancing at the city view. Funnily, a few children were trying to roll down the hill.

Jayati came with her 10-month-old daughter. "The last time we were here, the overhead sprinklers went ballistic, spraying water to the surroundings. In the process though - we got drizzled too, despite standing on the walkway. And later my daughter caught a cold, haha!"

A Niketan local, but residing in the US - she did not seem much irritated anyway. "I like the park so much. It is cool here - nice walkway, happy faces around."

She was on holiday to see her family. "This city suffocates me now - more than ever. But more places like this will surely improve the living experience."

Following the harrowing Bailey Road fire, she may have spoken everyone else's mind.