A “Smart City” framework was used to investigate and develop visions of alternative futures for a peri-urban superblock north of Bangkok, Thailand. The Smart City framework considers seven smart pillars: environment, economy, energy, mobility, people, living, and governance, with a focus on community wellbeing that is supported by information and communication technology (ICT). A mixed-method approach that included: community and industry surveys, both online and face-to-face (total n = 770); in depth, semi-structured, stakeholder interviews; passive participant observation; and photo-documentation was used to inform and organize the project visions and designs. Several themes emerged from the community surveys and key stakeholder interviews: (i) connected green space is highly valued and effectively links multiple smart pillars, enhancing community wellbeing and resiliency to flooding; (ii) superblock mobility, connectivity, and sustainable development could be achieved through a seamless, integrated public-transit system following the principles of transit-oriented development (TOD); (iii) the superblock should prepare for the implementation of Thailand 4.0 through the improved programmatic and physical integration of local industry, community, and universities, including plans for a Digital Village and co-work space. Example designs that address these considerations and vision alternative futures for the superblock are presented in this Smart City case study.
A Research through Designing approach was used to explore nature-based solutions (NbS) for flood management at the fluvial (regional) and pluvial (local) scales as part of a Smart District visioning study in a peri-urban area north of Bangkok, Thailand. The NbS visions were informed by community surveys (total n = 770) as well as in-depth, semi-structured interviews with community leaders and key stakeholders representing private sector business. Both fluvial and pluvial flooding commonly occur in the study area and the cost of damage incurred by individuals generally exceeds aid remuneration. The surveys revealed that flood insurance was not widely used as a form of resiliency to flood conditions. Furthermore, survey participants generally considered common space and green space unsatisfactory and inadequate to meet community needs. In light of these survey responses, example NbS visions were developed to address community concerns and promote well-being, while concurrently providing resiliency and improved ecosystem services through connectivity of blue and greenscapes. This case study provides a novel linkage between the concepts of NbS, Research through Designing, and Smart City/District, in exploring sustainable and resilient approaches to flood management in the context of tropical, Global South development and also provides a first step towards developing an NbS typology.
The noon break or lunch hour in Bangkok’s central business district (CBD) is when pedestrians wander around for various activities and purposes, in addition to having a meal, within a limited time frame. It is the only break from their daily working routines for energy recovery or socializing, which, in turn, increases readiness to continue working in the afternoon. Commercial activities preferred by pedestrians during this break contribute to increased economic activity. Since pedestrian behavior depends on the cultural context, this research aims to understand Thai urban pedestrian culture that benefits the public, both socially and economically, and to investigate pedestrians’ experience of the physical quality of their walking infrastructure, reflecting their preferences. According to the information gained from observation, a field survey of four hundred thirty observations, and descriptive statistics, the urban pedestrian culture in the CBD of Bangkok is a combination of various activities related to a way of life; 69.4% and 44.9% of observed pedestrians have secondary and tertiary purposes. These multi-purpose trips during lunch hours include having meals, shopping, recovery from work, socializing, and taking care of business or running errands. The routine of lunch outings declined only slightly after the start of the pandemic in early 2020 compared to the pre-pandemic level (81.8% compared to 94.9%). Socializing has strong presence in the culture; 90.5% of group outings occur at least once or twice a week. On the physical side, the walking infrastructure, mainly comprising sidewalks, is used for circulation and as a place for social and economic settings. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, pedestrians’ concerns about the physical environment were divided into five groups, as follows: Cluster 1, people concerned about thermal comfort, surface conditions, and sidewalk obstructions. Cluster 2, people concerned about thermal comfort and walking distance. Cluster 3, people concerned about level changes and walking distance. Cluster 4, people concerned about surface conditions and sidewalk obstructions. Lastly, cluster 5, people concerned about sidewalk obstructions, traffic safety, and level changes. In conclusion. significant problems experienced or causing concern to pedestrians include sidewalk obstructions of flow due to insufficient width of the walking space as well as blockages caused by utility infrastructure, or social or economic activities, walking distance, surface conditions of sidewalks, level changes, thermal comfort, and traffic safety, respectively. These experiences and concerns reflect pedestrians’ preference for better quality of walking infrastructure. Therefore, inducing walkability is a promising physical strategy for promoting and sustaining Thai urban pedestrian culture.
Nowadays, marketing influences landscape design plant selection in Thailand, with less concern for ecology, culture, or local identity. Archaic murals showing historical contexts offer extraordinary evidence related to the effort to understand the history of plants in the geographic area. It is highly informative to study whether plants on murals correlate with plants that were part of daily life at the time that the murals were created. The study of Thailand's famous murals at Phumin and Nongbua temples is the first complete identification of plant species in Tid Buaphan's murals in Nan province. It aims to (1) document the plants on the murals in a database, (2) categorize and analyze them in order to identify their species, and (3) validate the plant species and study how they were used for landscape design in various contexts. The murals at both temples were examined, photographed, and coded for documentation in a database. The collected pictures were classified by physical characteristics and identified by investigating the Tai Lue scripts and Lord Buddha allegories, which are represented as stories on the murals. Moreover, some realistic paintings were analyzed and compared with botany literature and discussed in interviews with a botanist. There are 259 paintings in 76 groups at Phumin temple, and 560 paintings in 138 groups at Nongbua temple. The results show 35 hypothetical species, including eight exotic species. Plants are represented in various contexts, including residences, towns, and agricultural and natural areas. The identified species were potentially used for consumption, daily use, ornamentation, or a representions of religious or cultural beliefs. This research suggests plant species that reveal their historical value and can be used for current landscape design that seeks to express the historical and cultural values of Nan province.
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