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1. LARGE UNWALKABLE CITYES HOW TO
2. LARGE UNWALKABLE CITYES FREE

Walking, for countless others like me, is more than just a mere transportation alternative.

LARGE UNWALKABLE CITYES HOW TO

On a quiet Saturday afternoon, those brief five minutes on Minto Road when I don't have vehicles storming up with loud horns or anxiety peeping over my head on how to cross the road, I sense a hint of pride in being a pedestrian. Inefficient street lights, lack of drinking fountains or curvilinear cuts in the footpaths for the disabled prove that Dhaka is a city designed keeping automobiles in mind although 19.6 percent of its trips are made on foot the number is a whopping 37.2 percent in greater Dhaka Metropolitan Area. While a walkable city should have 25 percent of greenery, Dhaka only has five percent according to data from 2017. The absence of trash cans is one of the most common complaints among pedestrians, especially in South Dhaka. Public toilets, benches at regular intervals, trashcans, fair amount of greenery – these are fundamentals in creating a walkable community.

Pedestrian amenities are viable in making a city walkable. Why would I have to depend on a male figure for something as simple as buying medicines?" Saima feels that she has to think twice before going out for a simple walk, "Let alone going out for a walk around my neighbourhood at night, I have to think before going out to buy medicines or groceries even. But with the unbearable traffic jam these past weeks, walking's been more of a necessity for me to be on schedule. Usually, I can just take a rickshaw or the bus, not that those are safe options either. Rezwana Saima, undergraduate at Dhaka University, shares, "I have this fear of getting teased or touched by strangers in a busy street, the thought constantly at the back of my head. Be it the sickening male gazes, the fear of being groped on a busy footpath or much worse consequences reported in the news every other day, Dhaka's inability to provide a safe environment for its female pedestrians only adds to its infrastructural shortcomings. In the crowded footpaths of Nilkhet or the deserted lanes at night, the streets of Dhaka have been nothing but unsafe for them. The scenario is much worse for women, like every other aspect of our country. According to the statistics of the Accident Research Institute of BUET, at least 43 percent of those who lose their lives on the roads are pedestrians. With pedestrians having to make choices like these, the causalities only keep on increasing. Even if it's a busy intersection like Moghbazar, Bangla Motor or Ramna, where there are always fast-moving vehicles, I end up parkouring my way across the traffic rather than facing the risks of getting mugged." "I return home late and always avoid over-bridges, because it's a hotspot for muggers, pickpockets and all sorts of creeps. Most of the busy streets lack foot over-bridges and the ones available are either filthy, taken over by the homeless or deemed unsafe for pedestrians.Įfti, for example, doesn't prefer using foot overbridges because of safety concerns, especially when he's returning home at night.

However, this attempt at reducing traffic congestion negatively impacts walkability by lengthening the crossing. Maximum intersections have been engineered to maximise vehicle flow and allow vehicles to take turns at high speed. In areas like Mirpur, Malibagh, Jatrabari and most of South Dhaka, water congestion makes walking a horrendous experience and one that literally poses danger at every step. You can't tell which is a small pothole and which is a manhole," explains Holy Cross College student Nuzaima Islam Arunima, adding, "With water from drains, road-side garbage and rainwater blocking the streets, I don't even know what I'm stepping on." With the roads filled up with water, you can't even see what's under your feet. "During rainy season, the road beside our house gets hazardous. The sewage drains are often uncovered or unstable. Inaccessible pavements force pedestrians like Efti to use main roads for walking and cause numerous accidents each year.Īnother massive issue regarding the walkability in Dhaka is water congestion.

LARGE UNWALKABLE CITYES FREE

If you do find a free section of pavement, chances are it'd be occupied by construction waste, litter, roadside hawkers or stalls.