Historic area contributes to the memory of a city, creates urban identity, and forms the modern townscape. However, the historic areas worldwide are affected by the development processes led by globalized trend in architecture and planning. In urban development, particularly in Thailand, historical context is from time to time neglected or perceived as secondary. This study investigates the urban historic quarter in Phitsanulok, one of the main cities in the Northern part of Thailand, in order to make a clearer understanding about the roles of the places with historic value in new urban development. Following the concepts of cultural heritage and place-making, the study attempts to point out how the places with historic value should be taken into account to facilitate urban development, to build urban identity, and to promote better quality of city living. Its discussion is with reference to the questions that need to be considered before any development proposal-what is special in the community, how many quality places are located in the vicinity and how they are connected, and places that should be more meaningful.
The opening of regal parks for public use in the West has usually been perceived as a part of a growingidea of the park as public venue. In Siam and Thailand, Saranrom Garden is one of the most obvious examplesto demonstrate the aforementioned change in land uses. It was transformed from the monarchy’s recreationalground to a seat of state agency and eventually to a public space. The investigation on the history of SaranromGarden reveals how the concept and practice of public parks came into existence in a non-Western culturewithout a direct colonization from the West.In addition, the analytical and critical readings on the development and utilization of the park arguesthat Saranrom Garden: 1) was employed by the ruling elites as an instrument to represent a modern society;and 2) functioned in terms of a hegemonic discourse, whose accessibility to the public resulted from an imitationof Western practice to display the “civilized” identity of the elites rather than from a genuine concern to producea social “release valve.”
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