Bangkok may soon have its own public riverside promenade called Yannawa Riverfront, set to rival The Bund in Shanghai, Southbank in Melbourne, London's River Thames Embankment Walk, Paris's Quais de Seine and Boston's Waterfront.
A 2012 initiative by the Urban Design and Development Centre (UDDC) in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University, Tokyo University, Beijing University, Wat Yannawa temple and the Thai Healthy Promotion Foundation, the riverside promenade aims to boost sustainable living for residents while improving their health and well-being, said UDDC director Niramon Kulsrisombat.
The project is a uniquely civic pilot that attempts to restore Bangkok's riverside area for public use. Measuring five metres wide and spanning 1.2km of river, the car-free zone will feature a walkway, cycling track and public recreational space.
The proposed promenade will be situated strategically to connect central business districts, including Bang Rak and Bang Kholaem, with access via the pier and Charoen Krung alleyways. As Yannawa district is a major hub for land and water transport, it is ideal for the model, said Ms Niramon.
The promenade will be constructed between Taksin bridge and Khlong Kluay, near the Chatrium Hotel Riverside, as well as along the strip and in the surrounding neighbourhood. The idea is to alleviate Charoen Krung road's infamous traffic congestion.
The proposal, backed by residents and landlords, now sits with the Interior Ministry and awaits the final nod of approval from the cabinet, said Ms Niramon. If approved, an environment and health impact assessment will follow immediately and the project will be completed by 2017, she said.
Costing approximately 152 million baht for construction and an additional 21 million baht for neighbourhood improvement and small alleyway access, the promenade is no small endeavour.
The government can either fund the project and allow City Hall to complete it, or City Hall can seek the funds itself, she said.
Landlords will have to sacrifice their private access to the river. Although most of the riverside plots along the 1.2km strip — from Sathorn pier to the Chatrium Riverside Hotel — are owned by the state, parts of the strip are owned by local landlords.
"A spirit of giving is needed from private land owners to make it happen," said Ms Niramon.
Bangkok residents have for decades suffered from a lack of access to the riverfront area: though Chao Phraya River runs for 24km through Bangkok, only 3.5km is accessible to the public. The rest is taken by hotels, shopping malls and private property ownership, she said.
According to a recent UDDC online survey, Thais enjoy walking no less than residents in other big cities around the world. On average, Thais walk up to 800 metres per day; in contrast, Americans walk 803 metres and Hong Kong natives 600 metres. Another UDDC survey conducted in the area showed that two-thirds of the 240 respondents said they relied on public transport and private vehicles while only 25% are pedestrians. About 44.5% admitted that environmental barriers, including a lack of shade and rubbish, deter them.
Wheelchair-bound Paisarn Wichisarn, 63, from Nonthaburi, is delighted with the prospect of a riverside promenade. "We've been unable to reach many places in the city. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) should provide adequate access for the young, elderly, and physically-challenged," he said.
Tomorn Sookprecha, a writer on metropolitan issues, said more public green space in the city won't harm anyone. But a promenade designed for walking and cycling is perceived by many as a place exclusively for middle-class people.
The park should be designed as a food park with fruit trees and vegetable gardens that low-income people can take home. This would help give it broader appeal.
He also recommended there be more small "pocket" parks dotting neighbourhoods, rather than the current set up of concentrated green space in large parks which are not easily accessible for those who live far away.
Ms Niramon said the project will be a model of community green space and hopes the BMA will adopt the idea for other parts of the city.
Varakorn Techamontrikul, the director of Country Group Development Plc's Development Division located behind the promenade, said the company is willing to devote its land to the public, and she urges private landowners to do the same. "If successful, the project would become a new attraction for the city which will help boost trade and income for locals living along the Chao Phraya River," he said.