In collaboration with the Chittagong City Corporation in mid-2019, Ci+AU proposed to revitalize four public places in Chattogram: Lal Dighi Park, UN Park in Panchlaish, Debar Dighi, and the Chaktai Canal area. The hope was that transforming these sites would reshape the urban experience and image of Chattogram, the country’s second largest city plagued by a deteriorating public place infrastructure.
Lal Dighi and Field was created in the 1840s during the British colonial period. The area has been mismanaged and encroached upon by market forces. We proposed to transform this vital urban juncture into a protected public space, woven with walkways, playfields, and a stage for cultural events.
Deba is a 14-acre dighi (large pond) that has been blocked away from the public by illegal settlements and improper usage. The Ci+AU team proposed to restore and revive the dighi water and to create a natural aquatic environment for flora and fauna to flourish again. The design also incorporates public spaces, walkways around the pond with ample sitting areas, and facilities like restaurants and food courts. The proposal also includes a traditional bazaar that creates an informal barrier between the dighi and a busy thoroughfare.
The UN Park was conceived as a neighbourhood park that was long neglected and mismanaged by the city administration. The city corporation built several structures like an outsized gymnasium on this site, ignoring concerns from local communities. Our proposal seeks to restore the park’s original intent, that is, a green landscape where local people would find an urban “oasis” of native trees, birds, and promenades. We address major issues like drainage and sanitation at and around the site. An “illegal” swimming pool which poses risks for children is transformed into a safe and secure body of water around which people of all ages and gender can gather.
Several illegal settlements and small shops along the Chaktai Canal have been causing garbage buildup, reducing the canal's depth and width, and obstructing water drainage. Every monsoon, the canal overflows and floods nearby areas. The Ci+AU team proposed to widen the canal by removing illegal structures and deepening it through dredging, while adding walkways and ghats to enhance the public space experience, drawing inspiration from cities like Venice and Amsterdam.