The Department of Architecture of the School of Architecture and Design of BRAC University organised its outreach program, Arch.KIDS, on 3 December, 2022 inviting 20 students from various schools of Dhaka to create awareness about the natural and built environment. Children between the ages of 7 years and 10 years from Alor Dhara, Bangladesh International Tutorial, Faizur Rahman Ideal Institute, Ideal School & College, Maple Leaf International School, Mastermind, Scholastica, Sunbeams and Sunnydale attended the event. This year the program’s theme involved SDG 11 which focuses on sustainable cities and communities to make children, who are the future leaders, think about their cities and communities.
Tanjina Khan, Arch.KIDS Committee Chair and Senior Lecturer, welcomed the children and conducted a knowledge sharing session on a child-friendly built environment. The children were shown a base model of a chaotic city, prepared beforehand by student volunteers of the department and having characteristics such as being devoid of open spaces and walkable and non-walkable streets, a common scenario in Dhaka. Afterwards, children gathered in groups of four to brainstorm and imagine how they picture a city they want to live in. Eminent artist Bishwajit Goswami and child friendly urban space researcher Dr. Rashed Bhuyan helped the children imagine a good city offering various possibilities.
The children created neighbourhoods with fewer buildings and more open spaces, laid emphasis on bicycle and public transport, skywalks, abundance of vegetation, safer and cleaner streets with zebra crossing, dustbins, lights and signage, fire safety and free food for people in need. In effect the workshop enhanced their interpersonal skills and ability to engage in teamwork, make friends and showcase leadership.
The children explained their ideas to Dr. David Dowland, Registrar of BRAC University, who distributed certificates among them. Arch.KIDS facilitators Emmat Ara Khanam, Tarannum Mahmud, Yukiko Kunimoto and Sadequl Arefin Saif along with the volunteers helped execute the program.