[The aim of the competition was to highlight the diversity of challenges, opportunities and responses faced by cities throughout the world, from large nation states to small island communities. The specific challenges were  how will our city  respond to  issues like the pressures of population growth, the impact of climate change and developments in technology? What will the social, economic and environmental consequences be? What will it look like in 2065? ]

Resuscitating Dhaka

Being oblivious to the consequences of squandering away the country’s resources for urbanization, Dhaka is heading towards a saturation point. However, time and again Bengalis have been capable of coming around from the verge of cynicism and desperation and survive. Therefore, it is only after this point has been reached that people, endowed with true awareness, will come together bringing about an influx of positive change. Dhaka, 50 years from now, shall be in the epicenter of such regeneration and armed with her own uniqueness will pull through stronger than ever before.

The city will, ultimately, witness a harmony between legalized slums and contemporary architecture; loops of flyovers, roads and restored water channels; globalization and age-old cultural norms. The aftermath will be an exhilarating oriental triumph breathing new life into a nearly depleted city. Through such inevitable growth Bengalis will, eventually, emerge with a truly developed South Asian tropical city.

More details about the competition can be found here.