The Making of Publicness | Spring 2026

Mon 6 Apr - Sun 26 Apr' 26

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
Despina Matzakos (urban designer, Gehl, SF, CA)
Niaz Zafri (planner & assistant professor, PhD Student at MIT-DUSP)
Stephen Crews (architect and urban designer, City of Austin, TX)

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 6 – April 26, 2026
Field visits: Selected weekends

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

3. Workshop Fee:
Regular participants: 12,000 BDT
Students: 8,000 BDT (Valid student ID required)

4. Important Dates:
The application starts: February 23, 2026
Application Deadline: March 11, 2026
Selection Announcement: March 12, 2026
Payment Deadline: March 23, 2026

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 23, 2026.
Payment Link: bengal.portwallet.com/subscription/

How to Apply
To apply for the workshop, please fill out the application form:
https://forms.gle/eq2bL2aUcoH7ucqf8

For any queries, please contact:
[email protected]

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Image Release Waiver

By participating in this workshop, participants consent to allow the Bengal Institute to use photographs and videos taken during the event for publicity purposes, including print materials, the Bengal Institute’s website, and its social media platforms. Photographs and videos remain the property of the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements.

Release of Liability

By participating in the “The Making of Publicness: On Understanding and Enhancing Urban Spaces” workshop by the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements, participants release the Institute, its elected officials, officers, directors, employees, agents, volunteers, affiliates and all others acting on its behalf from any claims, actions, causes of action, and complaints of any kind which they have or may in the future have, whether known or unknown, arising out of or relating to their participation in the “The Making of Publicness: On Understanding and Enhancing Urban Spaces” workshop on April 6 – April 26, 2026.

Additional Information

Terms and Conditions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WpCl9gGotbHMLOb7gdVPjvAnz2oGVfplPIbVlLSGW_Y/edit?usp=sharing

IP Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12wZhRByvRpQKNgZ2ShqzR1c8leKJeiTmOqoohSDw-0M/edit?usp=sharing