International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160     Impact Factor: 9.24

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Call for Paper Volume 7, Issue 4 (July-August 2025) Submit your research before last 3 days of August to publish your research paper in the issue of July-August.

Streets as Child-Friendly Spaces: Play, Adaptation, and Spatial Negotiation in Shat Tola Pora Basti, Dhaka

Author(s) Mr. S M Arafat Hossain, Dr. G M A Balayet Hossain, Mr. Imran Ebne Amin, Mr. Naimul Aziz
Country Bangladesh
Abstract This research paper explores child-friendly activities in ‘Shat Tola Pora Basti,’ a densely populated low-income squatter settlement in Dhaka, characterized by a severe deficiency of dedicated open play spaces for children. Employing qualitative ethnographic methods, the study investigates how the vulnerable children of squatter settlements in Dhaka, one of the third world’s megacities, adapt to their situation of severely deficient open play spaces. The primary findings reveal that two major streets, which run through the residential and bazaar areas, have evolved spontaneously into active play spaces for the children. Despite distinct spatial characteristics, these streets share a common feature: the children's constant negotiation of space through ‘making and breaking.’ Children repeatedly and spontaneously ‘make and break’ their playing activities in response to vehicular traffic. Understanding such contextualized child-friendliness highlights this paper’s niche question: how do streets become a Child Friendly Space (CFS)? The study will contribute to developing sustainable CFS in high-density areas, offering a conceptualization of CFS for vulnerable children residing in Dhaka's low-income squatter settlements.
Keywords Child-Friendly Space (CFS), Informal Settlement, Making and Breaking, Play Space, Shat-Tola-Pora-Basti, Street Play.
Published In Volume 7, Issue 4, July-August 2025
Published On 2025-08-14
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i04.53685
Short DOI https://doi.org/g9w7gx

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