Optimizing the Spatial Configurations of an Urban Open Space: Syntactic Analysis of the Restored Hatirjheel Wetland, Dhaka

Due to rapid urbanization, urban open spaces are becoming increasingly significant, both in the inhabitants’ daily and societal lives. This significance is even more applicable for the densely populated city of Dhaka, which has historically overseen numerous urban migrations. Regretfully, the inhabitants of Dhaka can access only a few urban recreational facilities, public open spaces in particular. Due to illegal encroachment, low maintenance, and rigid policymaking, those limited number of open spaces are becoming gradually deteriorated and are in the potential danger of greater extinction soon. The Hatirjheel wetland area inside Dhaka has recently been restored as an important public open space to connect the city’s green-blue network. Accessibility is a significant spatial parameter to judge its potential success. This research analysed how accessibility would optimize the multi-scalar relationship between neighbourhoods and urban activities. With use a series of syntactic analyses, it was also searched for the Hatirjheel wetland’s potentials as an active urban open space to accelerate local and global activity. The possible weaknesses behind those open spaces’ inactiveness were investigated both theoretically and practically. Finally, some recommendations were suggested by analysing these circumstances in aim to improve the current conditions and obtain optimum benefits from the existing open space.