Towards inclusive and accessible parks in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand

Abstract

The problem of the lack of inclusive public space in the fringes of Bangkok, Thailand, is related to multiple factors in urban development. The study-area of the Pathum Thani province offers a summary of the critical consequences of the urban development in the past decades. The partial transformation of some environmental tracks onto an urbanized system allows the creation of a nonhomogeneous privatized continuous built surface. The conditions of these urban areas suffer from vehicular traffic, car dependency, absence of differentiated mobility, limited walkability, and lack of public spaces. The research aims to bring these areas to a higher level of inclusion, accessibility and overall quality by rethinking the existent public spaces, creating the grounds for the design of inclusive and accessible park. To reach this objective, the study explores the topics of public space, park, accessibility and inclusivity for disabilities to establish some principles for future design approach for Thaklong–Klongluang, a study-area located in the Pathum Thani Province. Characteristics, features, weaknesses and existing parks of the study area are demonstrated in the subsequent section. The results’ discussion relates all the aforementioned topics, defining the guidelines for the creation of inclusive and accessible parks in the six existent sites of the study area. Because of its premises, besides being based in a specific location, the article aims to be a valid reference for the areas which present similar features and critical points.

Research-Based Design of an Inclusive Park: Thammasat Water Sport Center, Pathum Thani, Thailand

“…A space which suggests and encourages inclusion, social bonding, and social gathering, maximizing the autonomous accessibility by marginalized actors, reaches an importance which goes beyond its physical boundaries. As remarked previously (Selanon et al, 2022a;, with this repurposing, the role of a park and greenspace will be enriched and create a valuable precedent.…”

“…This article follows the definition of the principles for inclusive and accessible parks in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand (Selanon et al, 2022a), and the selection of a green existent area (The Thammasat Water Sport Center) within this provincial context where a possible redevelopment into an inclusive and accessible park for disabled is expected to have potential success (Selanon et al, 2022b). The objective of the research presented herein is to redevelop the existing space into an inclusive park for autonomous access by the disabled community.…”

“…Another inner ring runs parallel to the main triangular core and contains other trees and lawn, enclosed by flowerbeds. Their purpose, in accordance with the user consultation emerging from phase one of the research, the site-specific investigations and the contemporary literature on the topic (Selanon et al, 2022a;Selanon et al, 2022b) is to provide sensorial enjoyment and the pleasantness. Moreover, the physical layout of the trees encloses the area of the activities, providing a sense of visual enclosure and serving as a green barrier to absorb the sound and physically separate the safe area of the park from the surrounding campus and roadways.…”

Investigating Land Surface Temperature Variation and Land Use Land Cover Changes in Pathumthani, Thailand (1997-2023) using Landsat Satellite Imagery: A Comprehensive Analysis of LST and Urban Hot Spots (UHS)

“…This region, located just north of Bangkok, holds economic and cultural significance, contributing to the overall vitality of the nation. Its geographic composition includes a mix of urban and rural landscapes, featuring areas of industrial development, residential zones, and agricultural expanses [20].…”