Blurring The Line: Rejuvenating Entrepreneurial potential to develop the socio-economic scenario of urban slums

In developing countries like Bangladesh, thousands of people visit cities like Dhaka every year for better job opportunities. This poor migrated group takes place near affluent urban areas where they can give services. As transportation costs are very high and their economic status is not good enough, they end up living in slums. However, their dream of financial solvency remains unsuccessful, as they cannot reach their desired goal. As there is always a fine line between these different economic classes. The most service-providing group always stays hidden and unrecognized under these lines.

Urban slums, having both the elasticity of slums and the staticity of urban structures, tend to create a distinct line that divides them. This physically visible line is only a glimpse of the contrast between urban poor and city dwellers, which eventually results from more profound economic and social differences these communities hold. The financial difference creates a difference in social status, which further turns into a visible line, The Boundary. These economic, social, and physical partitions have hindered the slums as they keep piling daily, leaving no space for their socio-economical growth, ultimately transforming them into a burden for future cities.

This project approached this problem by harnessing the energy of ‘Slum Entrepreneurs’ that fuels the Sattola slum making it resilient in the economic sector. It is situated between Mahakhali, Nekton, Hatijheel, and Tejgaon Industrial zone. It acts as a service center for these zones. Still, their entrepreneurial potential is reflected in their central roadside market area, showcasing their rich skillset as they migrated from different regions of Bangladesh. In this project, economic redevelopment is achieved by redistributing Sattola’s existing market layout and integrating entrepreneur-friendly approaches into existing scenarios. Three modules are designed at three thresholds to blur economic, social, and physical lines to build an interdependent relationship between these two communities.