Urban experts for child-friendly zones in the slums

At least one child-friendly zone should be created in the slums including Dhaka to provide recreational facilities for the children and adolescents of the disadvantaged areas as many of them get involved in various crimes due to lack of playgrounds and leisure facilities, urban experts said.

It is possible to create recreational facilities for these children by creating small-scale child-friendly spaces in slum areas with effective involvement of development partners with the government initiatives, they said at a stakeholders' consultation meeting titled "Child-friendly space for marginalised urban informal settlements" organised by Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), Save The Children and Bhumijo on Tuesday in the capital.

Professor Adil Mohammed Khan, executive director of the IPD said it is time to formulate a plan to create at least one child-friendly zone in all slum areas of Dhaka city.

"It is possible to ensure entertainment and normal development of the marginalised children by creating sustainable and effective spaces with emphasis on nature-based design at a low cost if the government is sincere", he added.

Professor Akter Mahmud of Jahangirnagar University said the designers and professionals involved in the implementation of various public spaces and recreational facilities development projects in Dhaka city must be held responsible as to why the previous users are no longer able to use those playgrounds and parks freely after execution of such schemes.

Farhana Rashid, chief executive architect of Bhumijo, presented the possible design of the playground for children in the Bauniabandh area of Mirpur under the initiative of Save the Children and IPD.

Town Manager of UNDP Maruf Hossain said that walls are being constructed at the children's playgrounds restricting access in many cases. Such a design largely distorts the universality of the public spaces.

Save the Children (Humanitarian) Director Moshtaq Hossain said it is possible to make the child-friendly zones at slum areas sustainable only if it is designed environmentally-friendly and through inclusive participation.

Dhaka North City Corporation City Planner Maksud Hashem said that several positive changes have taken place in the creation of public spaces in Dhaka city.

"The city corporation has a sincere interest in creating recreational facilities and spaces for the marginalised children of the city. Child-friendly spaces can be effectively created in low-income communities with the participation of local councilors and allied organisations," he said.

Experts also said that although some plans have been formulated for playgrounds in the upper and middle class areas in the urban areas of Bangladesh including Dhaka city, children in the slums are left out of such initiatives and efforts.

Many development partners and community-based organisations are interested in supporting various city organisations if the local government, city corporation, and ward councilors come forward, they added.

Plans and initiatives to create such child-friendly zones must be taken now, otherwise the target of developing sustainable cities and settlements will not be achieved, they noted.