The Making of Publicness | Spring 2025

A two-week immersive workshop exploring how to assess, understand, and enhance the publicness of urban spaces in Dhaka. Through practical exercises, site visits, and engaging discussions, participants will learn to analyze public spaces and develop proposals that reflect diverse community needs.

Faculty: Arfar Razi (geographer/ planner)

Guest Speakers
Salauddin Ahmed (architect)
Laura Shaffer (planner at NYC Housing Authority)
Jessica Young (resilience planner at Asakura Robinson)
Khondaker Hasibul Kabir (architect)

Goals and Objectives
The workshop aims to help participants understand the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of public spaces, learn systematic methods to assess publicness using established frameworks, develop skills in user observation and community engagement, create proposals for enhancing accessibility and inclusiveness, and examine power dynamics and equity in public space design. Through a combination of theoretical discussions and hands-on exercises, participants will gain practical tools for analyzing and improving urban public spaces.

Activities will include lectures, field visits, user surveys, mapping exercises, and a design charrette. Participants will work in groups to analyze selected public spaces in Dhaka and develop enhancement proposals.

Important Information
1. Date: April 21 – May 7, 2025
Workshop hours: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM on weekdays (Sunday to Thursday)
Field visits: Selected weekends

2. Venue: Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements, Dhaka

3. Workshop Fee:
Regular participants: 8,000 BDT
Students: 5,000 BDT (Valid student ID required)

4. Important Dates:
The application starts: February 24, 2025
Application Deadline: March 15, 2025
Selection Announcement: March 17, 2025
Payment Deadline: March 27, 2025

5. Application Requirements:
Graduates from any discipline, including architecture, urban planning, and geography
Final-year students of architecture, urban planning, and geography or any related discipline
Professionals interested in public space design

Payment Information
Selected participants must complete their payment by March 27, 2025.
Payment Link: bengal.portwallet.com/subscription/

How to Apply
To apply for the workshop, please fill out the application form:
https://forms.gle/pCcnWJJ2AZvamVjA7

For any queries, please contact:
[email protected]