Outdoor Recreational Facilities in Dhaka South City Corporation: A Case Study on Sports Field

Abstract

Due to rapid urbanization and industrialization, Dhaka megacity has been gradually losing its open spaces. The study tries to find out the hidden causes of the loss of open spaces once used as play grounds and designated playgrounds of Dhaka South City Corporation area. Open spaces are necessary for city dwellers for breathing and also for recreational purposes. On the other side, playgrounds are important for growing up children for their mental growth that could be balanced their physical fitness. This study shows the consequences of the availability and also unavailability of playgrounds for city dwellers, children, and aged people. The results show the scenarios of the playground, their conditions, and also availability throughout the year which suggest that there is a tremendous scarcity of playgrounds in Dhaka's South City Corporation. Whereas each ward should have at least one playground, but there are only 19 playgrounds in the DSCC. The condition of these fields is average, but most of others playground condition is bad, some DSCC fields are reconstructing by the “Jol-Sobujey Dhaka” project. So, these fields are always restricted for the selected groups. These playgrounds are not always available to the general people. As a result, city dwellers face various diseases, like high diabetes, high pressure, obesity and mental depression. Meanwhile, due to lack of playgrounds, children spend their leisure time watching television, facebook, tiktok, playing mobile game and being addicted to the internet even like porn video etc. and some are involved in crimes like hijacking, making small gang, liking group gossiping, spending lazy time and drug addiction. The authorities should take the initiative of master plan and policy to protect the playground and also to create many new playgrounds. Otherwise, we would unable to take fresh breath in the artificial built environment and also would not make a well healthy society especially healthy strong youth society in our megacity.