Department of Urban & Regional Planning 4888; Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342 URP 2108: Landscape Planning and Design (Practical) Report on Landscape Design of Ramna Park Prepared For, Dr. Farhadur Reza Associate Professor Department of Urban & Regional Planning Jahangimmagar University Prepared by, Group ‘I’ consisting of. Isfat Jahan (728) Jannatul Ferdous Momo (731) Alimuzzaman Siam (746) Shahin Alam (760) Mahmudul Hasan (763)Work Contribution of The Report Report preparation Isfat Jahan (728) Shahin Alam (760) © Field visit © Field visit Data Collection «Data collection Methodology # Note taking * Report preparation * Study Area + Conclusion + Report preparation Jannatul Ferdous Momo (731) Mahmudul Hasan (763) + Field visi + Field visit * Data collection # Data collection # Introduetion * Communication on the field © Note taking «Report preparation Criticism Alimuzzaman Siam (746) Field visit Data Collection Objectives Photographs List of hard and soft elements Analyzing features & Proposed Plan Map collection (Online) ReferencingTABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction... List of Soft and Hard Elements. Soft Elements Proposed Plan for Ramna Park... Alteration of existing elements ....... — " ” snes Addition of new elements Conclusion...Introduction Ramna Park is a large park and recreation area situated at the heart of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. Park is one of the most beautiful areas in Dhaka with lots of trees and lake near its a traditional and histori center. I 1 park, Fig: Entrance of the park The center of Dhaka, the booming city of 50 million people lies green sanctuary with thousands of trees, spacious green meadows with picturesque walkways, and a serene lake. The place is so peaceful, but so near to some of the busiest area of the capital city that anybody entering the space will feel like they are lost in the garden of Eden, where honks of rushing vehicles, unbearable heat radiating from their engines, and footpaths full of rushing pedestrians are replaced by sweet chirps of birds, cool breeze from lush lakeside gardens and walkways covered with flowers falling from blossoming gulmeher trees, Ramna area began to regain its glory since 1825, when Mr. Dowes, a British collector of Dhaka initiated a series of steps for development of the city. Engaging convicts, he cleared up the bushes and demolished most tombs and monuments except the Ramna Kali Mandir. The old mosque and tomb that now stand by the western side of old High Court building were spared. The renovated area was given the name of Ramna Green and was fenced by a boundary for using it as a race course. In 1908 he began the work of a garden that took 20 years to take a shape. 1/PageStudy area Name: Ramna Park (Ramna Park was officially inaugurated in 1949). ‘Type: City Park Area: 88.50 acres (358,100 m2) Landscape: The present landscape of Ramna Park was designed in 1952 by the Public Works Department of Bangladesh. Location: Ramna, Dhaka (Moulana Bhasani Rd, Dhaka 1217) Coordinates: 23.7376° N, 90.4013° E Map: Plant species: At present there are 211 species of plants in Ramna Park. Of these, 7 are flower and omamental species, 36 are fruit plants, 33 are medicinal species, 3 are agroforestry plant species, 2 are forest plant species, 2 are aquatic plant species and 3 are spice plant species. Rare species of trees: There are several rare species of trees in Ramna Park. Some of these are Padauk, Palash, Dharmar, Kawatuti (Bonparul), Agar, Jacaranda, Tamal, Baobab, Giuricidia, Camphor, Scarlet Cordia, Jahurichampa, Cassia Javanika, Madhabi, Malati, African Tulip, Keya, Ashoka, Ta. Flowers, Coffee, Udaypadma, Sahasrabeli, Golden Shower, Palam, Kaufal, Jhumko, Lata Parul, Sthalpadma, Mahua, Kurchi, Bon Asta, Chandan, Makrishal, Dulichampa, Kanakchampa ete. 2|PageNew Year's Eve: Every year on the morning of the first Baishakh of the Bengali New Year, a New Year celebration is held at Ramna Batmul in Ramna Park. The cultural organization Chayanat organizes it. Children's courtyard: There is a children’s courtyard inside Ramna Park. For the entertainment of children, there are several play equipments including cradles and dhemkikals. Methodology Selection of the study area: The study area of Ramna Park and Playground, located in Maulana Vasani Road was selected by group 1 because of its old history, popularity and great interest of visitors. Another reason for choosing the area was the route of campus bus service which made it convenient for students to travel. Collection of Dataz © Group [visited Ramna Park on June 20, 2022 to conduct the landscaping survey. The group ‘went to the site at 3 P.M in the afternoon, the time was carefully selected in the afternoon as it was a prime time for a park to be filled with visitors. + The group first started (o observe the surrounding area of the study area, and on why this park was located specifically there ‘+ Then the group went inside the park and observed the area, They took a walk circling the whole park to get an initial understanding of various aspects of the park. Notes and Photos were taken at every finding, which will later help to visualize the actual condition of the area, ‘+ Group I collected both primary data by themselves and secondary data collected by someone else. The primary data was fully collected on the field, as they observed the park themselves. The secondary data was collected through two ways, by talking to visitors of the park, concerned authorities and from reliable sources on the internet. 3|Page‘+ Relevant data and information (area, year of establishment etc.) were acquired from Google. ‘+ Identifying and listing the hard and soft elements of the selected park was done by collecting quantitative data (expressed in numbers) and qualitative data (expressed in words) by observing the park first hand, + Group I collected maps using Google Maps. + Group 1 examined the existing condition of the hard and soft elements, like if they had any problems, or any positive and unique feature, of the park and took notes to write a report. + Finally, after analyzing the collected data and necessary photographs related to the study, a report was prepared by group 1. Obj eS The objective of this survey and report writing is to understand different perspectives and elements of lands ‘ape planning that we studied in our theory course. This will also enable us to give opinions regarding our surrounding environment so that can we make the best out of it. ‘The main reason behind this study was to identify the features, elements and issues in landscape planning of a specific park. This is also be helpful for our social skills as we needed to conduct the field survey in the park and engage with lots of people there to acquire information about the park. 4|PageList of Soft and Hard Elements Soft Elements Hard Elements Trees Bitumen pathways Ground Covers Brick Paved pathways Shrubs Bridges Flowering bushes Lamp-posts Topiary Failed) ‘Concrete Benches Lake Pavilion - Public Toilet - Gymnastic Equipment ‘Memorial 5 Mushroom Shaped Fountain 2 Dustbins = Women’s comer ft Elements: imate in this area ‘Trees: Lots of trees can be seen in this park that create a micro providing shade to the users of this park. They also provide protection to shrubs and smaller plants from direct sunlight. Fig: Trees of Rarina Park© Ground Covers and Shrubs: Apart from the hard elements and trees, the whole park is green thanks to the ground covers and shrubs it contains. Some of these are capable of producing flower which provides a colorful bloom in flowering season. The shrubs are mostly located beside the pathways around and inside the parks. The open areas are © Topiary: The park authority tried to use topiary in this park which is like a statue or any artificial figure made with vegetative materials. But they failed at achieving this. Unfortunately, they did not remove the failed topiary from the park and thus they remain apart of this area. Lake: The most amazing feature of this lake is perhaps the huge lake inside of it that provides a serenity to the overall environment, The reflection of the trees makes the water appear to be green. There are side bridges attached to the lakes so that passersby can enjoy this great view. Fig: Failed topiary Fig: The lake 6lPegeHard Elements: © Pathways: Two types of pathways can be seen in this park. 1. Bitumen Pathways, 2 Brick Paved pathways. They add to the overall aesthetic of the park. People use these paths to roam about the park. Fig: Brick Paved Fig: Bitumen Paved © Bridges: There are few bridges across the park which is used for crossing certain sections of the existing lake. The bridges are mostly made out of wooden panels which go really well with the environment. They also provide a good view of the lake. Fig: The take ‘+ Lamp-posts: There are good numbers of electric lamp posts in this park which illuminates the park after evening. Although, many of these lamps are currently in a very deteriorating condition, Some small lamps are also used to illuminate the grass and shrubs. Fig: Smail lighting Fig: Lamp posts 7|Page¢ Benches and Pavilions: The park contains lots of concrete benches and shaded seating arrangements such as pavilions, People can sit here to watch the scenery of the park or have a chit-chat with their friends and families, These are scattered all over the park, Fig: pavilion * Public Toilet: There is only one public toilet Fig: Concrete benches in this huge park which is quite unfortunate Although the exterior design is quite beautiful, the functionality of the toilets inside are questionable Fig: Public toilet esterior * Gymnastic Equipment: A fine feature of this park is that it contains quite a few gymnastic equipment so that people can come here to exercise. It attracts those people who are really concerned about their health, Every morning many people from adjacent areas come here just for jogging and other exercises. Fig: Gym Equipmems 8|Page© Memori: ‘There is a memorial located in the middle of this park dedicated to the Proud sons of Bengal, The Language Martyrs. © Mushroom Fountain: There is a mushroom shaped fountain inside the park which was used as and aesthetic element, Butas days went by, the condition of this fountain has become so deteriorated, The placement of this fountain is also faulty as the whole fountain cannot be seen due to the trees surrounding the fountain, Fig: Fountain Dustbins: The park contains lots of dustbins along the pathways so that users can dispose their wastage in these bins. But still many people do not use these and as a result the park gets all dirty. Fig: Dusthins 9|Page© Women’s corner: A unique feature of this park is this women’s corner. Where women could spend some time all by themselves without the interruption of others. This corner is also used for mothers of new born child, so that they can breast feed here in a private environment Fig: Women’s corner ‘These are the major soft and hard elements that we found out in the park, Apart from these, there ‘are some minor elements that was not discussed in this report Criticism ‘Some basic criticisms about this park are: ! Security system is not sufficient. ! Unhygienic and uncleaned surrounding, ! Movement of beggars here and there. ! Unconcerned authority in construction site. ! Deteriorating condition of physical infrastructure, ! Unplanned planting of trees. ! Chaotic social environment can be observed in times of some occasion. These problems should be checked through proper planning of the park. 10|PageProposed Plan for Ramna Park Our proposition for Ramna Park has two sides. First one is alteration of the existing condition of some elements, the other is adding some new elements for the convenience of the park. Alteration of the existing elements: > The trees in this park do not follow any pattern, rather they are planted in random formation that does not look very appealing. We want to ensure that these trees are planted beside the lake and the pathways; mostly in straight line to create perception, Also, smaller shrubs and grasses will be planted in such ways so that they get cover from larger trees and also creating a sense of rhythm. 7 The Benches and pavilions are installed here and there not maintaining any code. But these should be located in those places so that they are always under shade so that users can feel at ease and sunlight will not affect them directly. > Children’s playground is under construction for several years, the work has come to a complete stop. This construction site in the park is hazardous to the vi ual impact. We want to make sure that these construction works end as soon as possible. Fig: The construction sites ¥ The park does not allow any vehicular movements in the park but still has bitumen roads inside the park which is not needed, Rather it is hazardous for those who come to exercise and jog here as these roads can lead to injury in case of slipping. We want to implement soft paved roads or cobblestones which is more functional for this park and will also increase the aesthetic value of this park. 11| Page> Some slum type settlement has formed inside this park which is hazardous to the visual as well as the social environment of the park. We plan on removing such settlements by rehabilitating these families somewhere appropriat Fig: Unvsanted setlements > The condition of the waterbody is quite unhealthy and has become a home to mosquitos as the waterbody is not cleaned on a routine schedule. We will make sure the waterbody i.c.; the lake stays clean and provide a good environment for the park. > Some of the infrastructures are in a very poor condition such as the public toilet, many of the lamp posts are not functional, the pathways having potholes and so on. We will solve all of these issues for ensuring a better environment for the park. Addition of New Elements: Y This park is huge in size but lacks proper security, For safety purpose we are going to install enough CC cameras all around the park. Enough security personnel will be employed too so that they can prevent unwanted activitis such as begging, stealing, hijacking etc. in this park. Y Inspired from the Italian gardens, we plan on implementing geometric flower beds in the park that will bring the aesthetic value to a whole new level. Fig: sample of flower beds 12| PageY We will ensure a proper implementation of topiary in this park to increase the aesthetic value of the park, Statuary might also be used in this park. Y We plan on installing several vending ‘machines across the park so that users can have adrink or snacks without having to engage with the hawkers who sometimes try to scam the customers. Y The existing mushroom fountain is not appealing to the eyes. We plan on bringing that down and replace that with few fountains across the whole parks, with — sitting arrangements near those fountains. Fig: sample of fountain in the park Primarily, these are the plans that we have for Ramna Park at this moment, But as time passes by, ve will upgrade this park with the latest and most beautiful elements of that time. 13| PageConclusion Having public parks in your community can provide immense health benefits, as the air and water in the area are positively affected. Not only do urban parks function as an environmental purifier, city parks provide preservation and conservation of wildlife and plant life, further highlighting the importance of parks. Coi sidered as the lung of Dhaka city, Ramna Park was always in great importance for the environment and the recreation of city dwellers. It is of utmost importance to ensure better maintenance of the parks to improve the environment and encourage people, especially senior citizens and children, in outdoor activities for their physical and mental wellbeing, We have to keep in mind that people under no circumstances should be deprived of the facilities of taking fresh air or beating boredom blues by visiting parks. Reference © Zafri, N. M. Z. (2019). A Study of User Characteristics and Activity Patterns of Ramna Park, Dhaka. Researchgate. Retrieved 2022, from hittpsi//www.researchgate net/publication/337160054_Who Uses Urban Parks A Stud of User Characteristics and Activi items of Ramna Pa ‘© Tinni, T. R. (2007, January 1). Ramna Park A Magnificent Garden in the Heart of Dhaka. Daily Star. https://www.thedailystar.netveampus/2007/01/01/feature_ramna,htm 14|Page