Parks and recreation

Out of all the things we profoundly reminisce about, do we think of parks and open spaces? The days are gone when we would casually go walking in a park and let its alluring greens block off the city’s chaos. The grass would crunch under your feet, the leaves rustle in the wind. There was an essence to this feeling; one that concrete spaces cannot accommodate. Then there are other kinds of parks – ones on the more spontaneous spectrum where conversation flowed over people munching peanuts. The air was crisp, little kids tugged at their mother’s sleeve as they spotted the ice cream cart and vendors churned chanachur with eager spirit. This is nothing like life in the metropolis. The tedious 9 to 5’s, the car horns rattling, the rickshaw bells clinking, the university deadlines expiring, and agony of the hours spent in a traffic gridlock can make you more worn out than a laboratory rat. Surely, a morning stroll can touch you up with a little joy; a jog in the evening could be invigorating. A chat with a friend on those antique park benches can help lift up your spirits. Parks and open spaces are going extinct, with their essence wearing off as these benches are no longer there. They are being portioned out to encroaching bodies and the fault lines of their poor planning, accentuating. Open spaces are public or private lands in the city that promote social and economic benefit to the community. Such spaces are crucial determinants of liveability in cities. Open spaces upgrade the character of the built environment; promote sound health and getaways from a claustrophobic city life. Dhaka, a populous city bustling with activity, scores poorly on its stock of open spaces in comparison to other cities elsewhere. Once known for abundant parks, the city has transfigured into a concrete jungle. Now, with 17 million inhabitants, the capital lacks adequate recreational spaces. For starters, aesthetic perception had always been an influential marker of where we would want to locate. As part of human nature, we harbour psychological attachment to a calming natural environment. Osmani Udayan, a notable space in the capital, enjoys soother climates than Motijheel commercial area located only half a kilometre away. With the smoke fumes from the vehicle exhausts gone, the noise of the concrete buildings absconding, these spaces often feel like the only beacons of hope. They gleefully rejuvenate and thoroughly invigorate. In addition, more often than not, these spaces are credited to contribute to a better quality of life but they have little to offer to a community’s economic environment. Hence, investment in open spaces and recreational centres may appear less important than other kinds of investment or business incentives. To dispel such myths, these recreational areas do contribute to an economy’s development as they increase value of nearby properties. Properties at close proximity to quality parks would command higher asset values than properties with a lack of such provisions. Beyond the above, open spaces host a myriad of events that make the scene throughout the year, catering to a large audience. We need open spaces to mark historic days, to gather and reminisce valiant sons who’ve forfeited their lives for independence, to launch air balloons to hallmark national endeavours and to accommodate sporting grounds for our athletes, footballers, cricketers and young souls bustling with potential. These ventures necessitate employing staff, restrooms, lights, cameras and where concerns of employment are involved, we see open spaces become powerful; they warrant economic implications and pave routes to a sprightly and vigorous tomorrow. The chief threats to open spaces originate from fear of takeover by public and private bodies. Agencies in Dhaka have encroached on several parks in the capital by establishing community centres, public government offices, etc, or by portioning it out for residential reasons. As a consequence, preservation of these parks precariously hang in the balance. Private owners are occupying spaces near Dhanmondi and Gulshan Lake. The spaces allotted to be drainage channels are being dealed out to real estate developers. The ripple effects from the paucity of open spaces are immense. I feel that recreational spaces are not isolated spaces in a city but are inherently linked to people’s psychological, physical and social growth. Today, young people stay indoors and are inundated in gadgets and phones; a deadly predicament that belittles their scope of growth and development. They aren’t always opportune to venture out and embrace the outdoors. Swimming, rackets, ball sports and outdoor recreation can often leave you feeling deeply and vitally alive; they release endorphins in your brain and renew your spirits like the most trending snapchat filter never can. Under huge pressures, open spaces are still an integral part of urban environment and enhance the quality of life in the city. They promote sustainability and formation of identity of oneself and their city. It’s absolutely imperative we preserve our open spaces and strongly condemn any sort of encroachment. We create structures with our fancy college degrees but we don’t break down illegal ones and de-structure. We’ve adopted the 21st century mind-set that we need to build closed spaces but as a consequence, we impinge on the freedom of open spaces. We build, but we do not innovate. We need to build in a way we can salvage our open spaces. Are we really saving the open?