WB to provide $100m to upgrade four city areas

WASHINGTON, Mar 31: The World Bank has approved $100.5 million to improve public spaces and urban services in four neighbourhoods under the Dhaka South City Corporation, reports UNB.
The Dhaka City Neighboorhood Upgrading Project will benefit about a million residents. It will especially cater to the needs of women, youths, elderly and disabled, who often refrain from using public amenities.
Under this project, livability of the selected areas will be enhanced by improving open public spaces such as parks, playgrounds, waterfronts, streets, sidewalks, and public buildings such as community centres.
"Well-designed public areas such as streets, sidewalks, parks, lighting, and multipurpose community centres can make a big difference to people's lives. They can immensely improve the living standards by improving safety, health, mobility, recreation and economic vibrancy," said Jon Kher Kaw, World Bank Team Leader for the Dhaka City Neighbourhood Upgrading Project.
The project will appraise, design, and implement schemes to enhance public spaces and address challenges of unplanned urbanisation in Kamrangir Char, Lalbagh, Sutrapur-Nayabazar-Gulistan and Khilgaon-Mugda-Bashabo localities.