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Henri Lefebvre was born in a small village near Paris, France, in 1901. He was a twentieth-century European philosopher, specifically a French philosopher who was began his career as a Dadaist and remained a committed Marxist, participating in Communist party affairs whenever possible. He actually got his initial education in Paris before leaving academia. He was greatly influenced not just by the shortage of food and heat in occupied Paris, but also by the pervasive post-World War I depression of the French public, who felt estranged from the new industrialized forms of employment and bureaucratic institutions of civil society in the early 1920s. This prompted him to focus on alienation, which led him to the philosophies and social criticism of Marx and Hegel, paving the way for him to join the PCF. Lefebvre joined the PCF in 1928 and rose to become one of France's most prominent Marxist thinkers throughout the second quarter of the twentieth century before joining the French resistance. He served in the military, worked in manufacturing, worked in radio broadcast and was also a cab driver. Then he moved back to Paris, winning a professorship at new suburban university in Nanterre. He saw both the first world war and second world war and the intermediate years between them and it reflects in his writing. He died in his beloved home region of Haut Pyrenees in the ancient town Navarrenx in 1991.

He published 70 books during his lifetime, with two more appearing posthumously, and given that these ranged considerably from literary theory to politics, sociology to philosophy, urban and rural theory to history, it is incredibly difficult to understand how his work functioned as a whole. He also published 200 articles. The Production of Space is Lefebvre's most well-known and frequently read work. In 1974, it was originally published in French. The majority of his writings remain untranslated into English, limiting their reception. Lefebvre's excess is always related to space while also transcending it. He was a critic of both structuralism and existentialism. Henri Lefebvre is the 328th most popular philosopher (up from 330th in 2019), the 878th most popular biography from France (up from 909th in 2019) and the 44th most popular Philosopher. During his times, in 1900s, city planning was still a very novel concept and there weren’t many departments that were established in the world.

Lefebvre pioneered many city planning theories such as right to the city, production of space and critiqued everyday city life. He introduced post structuralism and urban theory. He critiqued many previous urban researchers including Michael Foucault.  Many urban planning concepts were developed after his theories and urban planning departments were developed after his time. His works continue to inspire many urbanist researchers and academics throughout the world.

Lefebvre's Major Contribution

Lefebvre’s most important books are-

• Critique of Everyday Life (1974)

• The Right to the City (1968)

• The Urban Revolution (1970)

• The Production of Space (1974)

• Rhythmanalysis: Space, Time and Everyday Life (1992)

The Production of Space is Lefebvre’s major philosophical work and its translation has been long awaited by scholars in many different fields. This book is a search for a reconciliation between mental space (the space of the philosophers) and real space (the physical and social spheres in which we all live). Henri Lefebvre's research progresses from philosophical and ideological considerations of the meaning of space to its experience in the ordinary lives of home and city. He worked to bridge the theoretical and practical realms, the mental and the social, and the philosophical and the real. 

Space and Time

In the 1960s, Lefebvre joined other thinkers in criticizing urbanism, though their views differed. They all agreed, however, that treating urbanism purely as a science was a mistake. Lefebvre believed that urbanists had focused on solving short-term problems for industrial society without questioning the kind of society they were creating. He argued that urbanism was an ideology disguised as technology. According to Lefebvre, the challenges society faces today stem from the growing complexity of the shift from industrial to urban society. He emphasized the connection between space and time, stating, 

"The complexity of space and the objects that occupy it cannot exist without a complexification of time and the activities that take place in time."

Lefebvre introduced the idea of "themed urban space," which involves recycling old buildings for new purposes. For example, an old factory could be transformed into a social space with restaurants, shops, and parks. This concept of repurposing spaces has been around since the 1960s. Lefebvre emphasized the importance of space in urban development, offering a new way of thinking about it. His ideas help us understand why capitalists hold power in cities, the role of government, the tension between ordinary people and those in power, and why some people are left behind.

Lefebvre made a significant contribution to urban planning with his concept of the "Inclusive City". He was the first to propose the idea of cities that value all people equally, considering their needs and contributions. According to Lefebvre, those in power dominate the urban planning process, but this should not be the case. In his book The Production of Space, he argues that power holders shape spaces to fit their own interests, leading to conflicts between ordinary people and those in power. He believed that creating an inclusive city could help address these issues and bring more balance.

Take Away for Bangladesh

• Power holders in Bangladesh have been seen taking land and privatizing it. Those who are capitalists hold more power than the government. It is sometimes observed that the government takes money from capitalists. As a result, public places have become private property, and the general public's rights have not been effectively secured. The government should implement necessary policies to mitigate this. It is also a major issue for Bangladesh as it is a developing country with a planning paradigm that lags behind that of developed countries. More research is needed, as well as a paradigm shift is also needed in Bangladesh, to remedy the problem. Government should think about the mass people and their rights. 

• The idea of themed urban space by Lefebvre can be used here for public usage. As previously stated, existing structures can be demolished, and it is vital to make that space socially accessible to all people. As an example, old factories can be converted into public parks, and ancient buildings can be converted into restaurants.

• Finally, and most importantly, the concept of inclusive city. The city, according to Lefebvre, should be harmonized. Everyone should be able to connect with one another. If Bangladesh wants to maintain its rapid economic progress, it must restructure its cities to be more sustainable and inclusive. Vulnerable city residents should be actively involved in contributing to economic prosperity. Along with the public sector, the private sector should be responsible for financing.

Bangladesh needs to fix the power imbalance between capitalists and the government to protect public spaces for everyone. By using Lefebvre’s ideas of themed urban spaces and an inclusive city, the country can build fairer, more connected cities that support both people and economic growth.