Bangkok is rapidly closing in on the 250th year of its founding, and as it struggles to cope with the complexities of a modern metropolis, the city fathers want it to undergo a startling transition befitting of such an occasion.
Kadee Jeen is to be studied for the ‘Bangkok 250’ project to celebrate Bangkok’s 250th anniversary in 2032. (Photos courtesy of UDDC)
When the time arrives in 2032, City Hall is confident the Thai capital will have completed a remarkable transformation under its ambitious grand facelift called “Bangkok 250”.
“It’s not too soon to come up with a plan,” says Vanchai Thanomsak, head of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) Department of City Planning. “We are trying our best to make the city more liveable.”
In less than two decades, “Bangkok 250” is intended bring about rehabilitation on a grand scale, with vast proposals for economic, social and cultural development.
To achieve the ambitious plan, the Urban Design and Development Centre (UDDC) has been assigned by the BMA to work on the project. City Hall and the centre have set out a masterplan to restore Bangkok’s old town area and to conserve Kadee Jeen and Khlong San.
The UDDC has also outlined ways to bring more economic, social and cultural growth to the capital.
It has been also tasked with studying communities of historic and cultural significance dating back to the Rattanakosin Period and improve the areas and make them more appealing. Within the capital, there are more than 200 such communities in 17 selected districts.
Niramon Kulsrisombat
Over the past decade, UDDC’s director Niramon Kulsrisombat has worked with communities in Kadee Jeen and Khlong San and successfully turned them into more liveable neighbourhoods. The lessons learned from this undertaking will be adopted in other neighbourhoods.
The centre’s newest studies, expected to be complete in July, will be called 10/8/6. That is, 10 trends regarding the lifestyles of urban residents, eight characteristics of neighbourhoods of the capital, and six landscape changes in Bangkok.
A method known as foresight technique is measuring the path of the 10 growth trends of the city and helping to map restoration plans for local neighbourhoods, Ms Niramon said, adding there are a lot of uncertainties involved in future planning.
The method is allowing her team to imagine what the city will look like in the future and to explore potential development.
The UDDC team aims to set up a joint working group that includes the public, authorities at all levels, academics and activists. Its job is to come up with the best possible plans, she said, adding cooperation and involvement is key to the project’s success.
“We own the city. We have to work hand-in-hand to create a vibrant city where the best of Thailand will be showcased to the world — a city that Thai people will be proud of,” she said.
Once the studies are complete, they will be handed to the Secretariat of the Bangkok City Council for consideration, Mr Vanchai said.
He claims the project will allow Bangkok to produce the country’s first comprehensive city plan, unlike in other areas where concepts are generally stock standard.
“The studies will enable City Hall to issue ordinances in accordance with the findings in respect of cultural and agricultural aspects for each district,” Mr Vanchai said.
He is confident the city restoration plan will not affect the existing city plan. The restoration plan is specially designed for authorities to clarify which areas of the city need to be improved and restored.
The team has been working with residents who give comments and suggestions about the plan.
City Hall has switched the focus from city expansion in which residential projects are decentralised to city restoration that involves improvements in public transport and facilities to fit an urban residential lifestyle, said Mr Vanchai.
Studies show land on the outskirts of the city where many residential projects are currently under development is often being misused.
The land is ideal for agriculture and farming rather than for residential and commercial projects, he added.
The latest plan involves improvements to the physical features of inner city areas, land use activities and optimum use of available space, he added.
“We encourage people to think about what they want the city to look like in the next 10 to 20 years and reach some form of consensus so that everybody is on the same page,” Mr Vanchai said.