Asha L. Abeyasekera

Feminist - researching thru women’s narratives: marriage & kinship; urban regeneration's impact on home & community; shame & gendered emotions. Lecturer @UOYCWS

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

Urban regeneration must mean greener cities, not concrete jungles.
In Kompanna Veediya, neglected walls can become green, cooling streets and creating human-friendly spaces🌱

#ColomboIsOurVillage #RighttotheCity

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

Narrow lanes shouldn’t mean a restricted childhood.
Micro-play pockets + community “Play Streets” can turn even the narrowest streets into safe, joyful spaces.
Let’s reclaim the streets for our children. #ColomboIsOurVillage #LivableHomes #CaringCommunities #InclusiveCity

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

Colombo’s Urban Regeneration Programme has ignored low-income communities in favour of luxury living. Public spaces are being handed to private developers. Even if profit prevails,Metro Home residents deserve safe play areas. We call for simple solutions to revive community life.

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

Colombo’s planners can be Inspired by:
Urban Play Frameworks (https://t.co/jG8PPuLMwI)
Playful Learning Landscapes (https://t.co/XIxVSYyQoG)
The Playful City https://t.co/Zgvzwvc0I7

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

Play areas in Colombo are disappearing.
Research shows play is essential for building skills & creativity. We need urban design that turns everyday spaces into fun learning opportunities for all communities.
#ColomboIsOurVillage
@VraieB @ministry_lands @uda_gov_lk

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

Designated as a public playground in 1916 by the CMC, the City League Grounds in Colombo 2 has become a privately run football club.
A public space meant for play and recreation has now been privatised.
Who was responsible for this decision?

@VraieB @uda_gov_lk @ministry_lands

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

Colombo’s public parks are disappearing.

Muttiah Grounds is under construction with no information about its future.

Who authorized this? Was the public consulted?

#ColomboIsOurVillage
@VraieB @uda_gov_lk @ministry_lands

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

A neighbourhood play area turned into private property — laughter replaced by traffic and guard dogs.
As cities grow, who gets to belong in public space, and who gets pushed out?
#ColomboIsOurVillage @ministry_lands @uda_gov_lk @VraieB

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

@yousef_ki1 .

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

The erosion of public space
Mati Park was for everyone. Now it’s privatized — and the Kompanna Veediya community must pay to access their own playground.
#ColomboIsOurVillage
@uda_gov_lk @VraieB

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

In Kompanna Veediya youth aren’t waiting for election pledges or handouts. They are making plans. The Rise Together Youth Collective are turning struggle into strategy; planning, writing & fundraising for projects that speak to their realities.
@shihara_ferdi @Nishi_Nugawela

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

The campaign for affordable & livable homes for low income communities in Colombo is based on research conducted from 2010 – 2025 in Colombo2,Muwadora Uyana,Sahaspura & Rajagiriya.

Funded by:@BritishAcademy_;#UKRI_GCRF;@USForg ;#ESRCIAA
@BimalRathnayake @RanasingheSusil

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

The campaign for affordable and livable homes for low income communities in Colombo is based on research conducted from 2010 – 2025 in Colombo2,Muwadora Uyana,Sahaspura & Rajagiriya.

Funded by:@BritishAcademy_;#UKRI_GCRF;@USForg ;#ESRCIAA

@BimalRathnayake @RanasingheSusil

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

The campaign for affordable and livable homes for low income communities in Colombo is based on research conducted from 2010 – 2025 in Colombo2, Muwadora Uyana, Sahaspura & Rajagiriya.

Funded by:@BritishAcademy_;#UKRI_GCRF;@USForg
;#ESRCIAA

@BimalRathnayake @RanasingheSusil

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

The campaign for affordable and livable homes for low income communities in Colombo is based on research conducted from 2010 – 2025 in Colombo2, Muwadora Uyana, Sahaspura & Rajagiriya.

Funded by:@BritishAcademy_ ;#UKRI_GCRF;@USForg ;#ESRCIAA

@BimalRathnayake @RanasingheSusil

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

The campaign for affordable and livable homes for low income communities in Colombo is based on research conducted from 2010 – 2025 in Colombo2, Muwadora Uyana, Sahaspura & Rajagiriya.

Funded by: @BritishAcademy_ ;#UKRI_GCRF; @USForg ; #ESRCIAA

@BimalRathnayake @RanasingheSusil

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

"සෑම පවුලකටම නිවසක් හිමිවිය යුතුය" – මහින්ද චින්තනය 2005
නාගරික පුනර්ජීවන වැඩසටහන බලහත්කාර ඉවත් කිරීම් සහ නැවත පදිංචි කිරීම්වලට හේතු විය. පවුල් විසින් රජයට මහල් නිවාස සඳහා මුදල් ආපසු ගෙවන ලදී. ‘නිවසකට නිවසක්’ ප්‍රතිපත්තිය නිසා පවුල් කිහිපයකටම එක් මහල් නිවසක් පමණක් හිමිවිය.

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

ஒவ்வொரு குடும்பத்துக்கும் வீடு உரியதாக வேண்டும் - மஹிந்த சிந்தனை 2005
நகர மீளமைப்பு திட்டத்தால் வலுக்கட்டாய வெளியேற்றல், மீளமர்த்துகை நடந்தன. புதிய வீடுகளுக்காக குடும்பங்கள் அரசுக்குத் தமது இடம் வழங்கின. “வீடு ஒன்றுக்குப் பதில் வீடு” கொள்கையால் பலருக்கு ஒரே வீடு மட்டுமே கிடைத்தது

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

🏠 “Every family should own a house” – Mahinda Chinthanaya 2005
The Urban Regeneration Programme resulted in forced evictions & relocation. Families to repay the state for the new flats. The 'house for a house' policy meant several households were allocated only one flat.

[Asha L. Abeyasekera @AAbeyasekera]

சஹஸ்புர - இலங்கையின் முதன்முதல் குறைந்த வருமானம் கொண்ட உயர்ந்த வளர்ச்சி கொண்ட வீடமைப்புத் திட்டம். 14 மாடிகளில் 671 குடும்பங்கள் ��ீள வீட்டு வசதியளிக்கப்பட்டனர்.
சுயமர்வும் உரித்துடைமையும் இருந்தும் கொழும்பு உழைக்கும் வர்க்கத்தின் வாழ்க்கை முன்னேற்றமில்லாது.