River as Lived Place in South Asian Urbanism

Abstract

Rivers in South Asia essentially help forming a landscape, urbanism, and identity for the cities. This chapter focuses on the place-making by the South Asian rivers. It discusses how rivers conditioned the place and time for their cities and river memories shaped urban identity, socio-cultural activities performed on the riverbanks, and creation of economic spaces around them. Against this backdrop, this chapter analyzes Old Dhaka riverbank spaces at and around the historical Sadarghat and Ahsan Manzil area. The study focuses on the lack of place-making in these sites due to mixed-uses, heavy traffic, pollution, and diminishing public spaces. These findings reflect the present spatiality of the Buriganga riverbank as lived space for the current Dhaka city that resonates the other South Asian cities. Finally, this chapter suggests ways to make the riverbank a better lived space integrated with the contemporary social, cultural, and economic functions of any South Asian megacity.