Have you ever contemplated about your residing urban space? Why do the glitches that we criticize exist and what is being done to challenge them? 1 April 2017, the seminar on urban challenges on planning gave the students of BRAC University the opportunity to identify the persistent issues. The seminar was conducted by two distinguished personalities; Dr. Md. Akter Mahmud, Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Jahangir Nagar University and Architect Jalal Ahmed, General Secretary of Institute of Architects Bangladesh and the Vice president of Commonwealth Association of Architects, invited by Dr. Rubana Ahmed, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics and Social Sciences.
Arch. Jalal Ahmed presented the remarkable architectural sites that has been constructed in our urban space. The constructions include buildings and sites from our historical context, commemorations, educational buildings- well-built institutions such as Dhaka University or Jahangir Nagar University- health sectors and parliamentary sector which includes the most uniquely designed building, our National Parliamentary House i.e. Jatiya Shangshad Bhaban. During the second session of the seminar urban planner Dr. Mahmud raised critical questions about our city, i.e. Dhaka. He discussed the issues within policy making for our urban space that mostly favors the privileged. Furthermore, he talked about the planning structure where internal structural problems ensure the planning caters mostly to the upper middle class, rich and middle class people and the lower middle class and lower income people frequently get ignored.
The insight on our urban space helped the student to be more acquainted to the practical implications of policy making and planning, providing them better chances to gear up on their ambitions and aspirations.