To cope with rapid urban densification, Bangladesh is piloting floating marketplaces on select canals in Dhaka. These eco-friendly floating platforms, tethered along waterways, feature stalls, benches, and solar lighting.
Developed by city authorities and local NGOs, the market hubs are aimed at small-scale vendors who previously pitched tents on overcrowded streets, causing mobility issues.
If successful, this could become a novel solution for other flood-prone cities like Venice or Bangkok, and inland metros like Kolkata, as a way to manage urban space creatively and inclusively.