Steaming Bangkok seeks to go the green way

[rooster59]

Steaming Bangkok seeks to go the green way

By PHATARAWADEE PHATARANAWIK 

THE SUNDAY NATION

 

Bangkok’s Chatuchak, urban dwellers can enjoy walking, jogging, biking or even picnicking. Nation/Chalinee Thirasupa

 

SINGAPORE’S Garden by the Bay has helped make it Asia’s greenest city. New York’s High Line elevated park attracts four million visitors a year. Seoul’s Skygarden is a disused highway lined with 24,000 plants. Osaka’s Namba Park shopping mall is an oasis of trees and flowers.

 

Now Bangkok, stifling hot and choking on engine fumes, is starting to follow the trend.

 

“We live in a sick city, full of pollution and limited in public spaces, and many urban dwellers are physically ill,” Yossapon Boonsom of the Thai Association of Landscape Architects (TALA) said at a seminar on Wednesday.

 

“Everyone needs a healthy city, so we’re working closely with the National Health Commission Office and brainstorming with the government, private sector and civil society to propose policy to the Health Ministry for turning Bangkok and other big urban areas into ‘Public Cities for all’.”

Bangkok, with an official population of around 9.7 million, metes out a mere 6.4 square metres of green space per resident, whereas the World Health Organisation says cities should have a minimum of nine square metres for health’s sake.

 

In embarrassing contrast, Singapore gives each of its citizens 66 sqm of public greenery and Kuala Lumpur 44sqm.

 

But Bangkok might yet turn the numbers around. It was pointed out at the “Public City” seminar at ASA Expo 2018, a gathering of architects ending today at Impact Arena, that Thailand has in the last decade seen a trend towards more accessible public space.

 

And Bangkok has seen more and more green projects, ranging from government-run parks and green areas within shopping malls to a new waterfront learning centre courtesy of the Bank of Thailand.

 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) aims to establish 950 rai (152 hectares) of new public parkland this year, adding to the existing 35 parks.

 

Cosmos blooms in summer at Suan Rod Fai. Nation/Prasert Thepsri 

 

Arom Wongmaha, director of the BMA’s Parks Department, said the push for more greenery is getting help from the TALA and Big Trees Project, a non-profit environmentalist group. “We just opened a 400-metre-long walkway linking Sirikit and Chatchak parks to Suan Rod Fai [Railway Park] that occupies nearly 700sqm in total. And we’re also planting more trees around the city to help keep the heat down.”

 

Big Tree is meanwhile training BMA staff to take better care of old, large trees instead of cutting them down when they pose a risk of causing injury or damage.

 

“On its own, the BMA can’t reach the WHO standard, but with the help of the private sector and civic groups, we hope we can make it together,” Arom said. Chalerm Phra Kiet Phanat Nikhom Park in Chon Buri is good example of the benefits of cooperating. A firm called Redland-scape transformed an abandoned match factory into a new “lung” to help the industrial district breathe easier. The 24-rai park, sporting a public library, is another Big Tree undertaking.

 

“The funds for the Bt35-million park came mainly from local government, and residents also donated money,” said Phanat Nikhom Mayor Vijai Amaralikit. “We got a lot of support from civic society, and Interface Flor Co donated 200 trees. The park has become a new leisure area for families.”

 

Public spaces aren’t necessarily parkland, Yossapon noted. The United Nations agrees they can also be walkways and libraries. Bangkok does have walkways, but none are accessible to disabled people, said Santi Opaspakornkij, a Big Tree coordinator. The group has been tackling walkway projects for more than a decade and in 2007 created the Ratchadamri elevated pedestrian loop in downtown Bangkok, a major convenience for everyone walking through the area.

 

Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be done at the Ekamai and Siam intersections because the stakeholders couldn’t agree on plans.

 

One of the chief problems, Santi said, was that removing all sidewalk barriers blocking the path for disabled citizens – telephone booths, fire hydrants and the like – requires the involvement of “dozens” of BMA departments.

 

“The Ratchadamri Walkway was a great example of everyone cooperating. We raised the necessary funds at an auction and in donations” – with seed money taking the form of an early donation from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

 

Bank of Thailand's Learning Centre is Bangkok’s newest waterfront public space. Nation/Prasert Thepsri

 

Bangkok’s newest waterfront public spaces include the Bank of Thailand’s Learning Centre and a grand garden at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok Noi district.

 

“When we were planning the centre, with its museum and a library for the general public to use, we needed to change our mindset about what constituted a ‘public area’,” said Prapakorn Wannakanok, director of the central bank’s Finance Literacy Department.

 

“We hope to educate people about finance and support start-ups, and the centre has become a new hangout for people”.

 

Administrators at Siriraj Hospital converted a backyard storage area on the Chao Phraya River into a green recreational park that anyone can enjoy.

 

“Because Thailand is becoming an ageing society, the hospital is working with Siam Cement Group to establish the ‘Bangkok Noi Model’, utilising universal design and green space to make the district an ‘ageing city’,” said Dr Naris Kitnarong.

 

Among the retail malls paying more attention to ecological sentiments is Mega Bangna. Landscape Collaboration Co has given it a tropical waterfront garden and a walkway that accommodates disabled people and the elderly.

 

Mall executive Montri Thanadkha calls it “our marketing point” “We plan to plant more trees around our 400-rai-property and turn the mall into a public city.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30344704

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-06

[Lungstib]

Concrete deep below, all around and high over peoples heads, Bangkok is a monument to the cement business and it ain't pretty. Few trees exist in the street and those that do are frequently butchered by lopping all greenery off. In the 30 years I have been here there has been a major attempt to make Chiang Mai look the same, current destruction of part of Doi Suthep illustrating there is no will to quit yet. 

[mok199]

Thailands larger citys need ''street sweepers''( and not a woman with a broom)..but we are too busy spending money on usless military hardware and submarines...the dirt from the streets gets churned up from traffic  and hangs low...so we constantly breathing it ....

[thhMan]

I dont believe most of what media and 100% of what Govt says in this country.

They still have a long way to go, just to learn the basics

[Expatthailover]

4 hours ago, mok199 said:

Thailands larger citys need ''street sweepers''( and not a woman with a broom)..but we are too busy spending money on usless military hardware and submarines...the dirt from the streets gets churned up from traffic  and hangs low...so we constantly breathing it ....

Oh please.

Havr you seen the state of thailands military hardware?

Like just about every country on earth global warming is causing major problems.

In developing countries the problem is amplified

The tax take, the options and priorities are a monstrous balancing act.

Yet another attack on thailand ( it seems ) and its people based on little more than unhappiness that things are not as good as one hoped it to be since moving ( not you of course )

[yellowboat]

Bangkok is an unplanned, urban nightmare.  Far too many dead ends in the center of the city. There is, however, that long walk way that connects Sukhimvit with Lupini Park.  It struck me as dangerous at night for the less able bodied, but during the day it seemed like a nice way to get around.  Sadly, I cannot remember the name of this walkway. 

 

How would they water these to areas of green ?  I watched them water a Wat's lawn with a 40 meter long spray from a water truck.  They would have to come up with a better way to water this new greenery. 

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, tomazbodner said:

It would help if every available slot of land wasn't turned into condo or a shopping mall.

Isn't what they do with their land up to the owners of that land, why would any of them turn it into park?   Do you donate everything that you own for the recreation of the people?

[mok199]

8 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Isn't what they do with their land up to the owners of that land, why would any of them turn it into park?   Do you donate everything that you own for the recreation of the people?

what a stupid post...

[mok199]

1 hour ago, Expatthailover said:

Oh please.

Havr you seen the state of thailands military hardware?

Like just about every country on earth global warming is causing major problems.

In developing countries the problem is amplified

The tax take, the options and priorities are a monstrous balancing act.

Yet another attack on thailand ( it seems ) and its people based on little more than unhappiness that things are not as good as one hoped it to be since moving ( not you of course )

489 posts .489 trolls ..I see a pattern ..490  491  492

Edited May 6, 2018 by mok199
speliings

[dinsdale]

 

[hotchilli]

“Everyone needs a healthy city, so we’re working closely with the National Health Commission Office and brainstorming with the government, private sector and civil society to propose policy to the Health Ministry for turning Bangkok and other big urban areas into ‘Public Cities for all’.”

 

The answer is easy.... stop destroying every patch of available ground & putting up shopping malls, office blocks, condo's etc etc

The problem is vacant land has a value... authorities should put money/profit aside and build a park instead.

They don't understand the benefit in the long term value of enriching health instead of personal enrichment!!

Don't expect any change in policy any time soon!!

[MaxYakov]

19 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Bangkok is an unplanned, urban nightmare.  Far too many dead ends in the center of the city. There is, however, that long walk way that connects Sukhimvit with Lupini Park.  It struck me as dangerous at night for the less able bodied, but during the day it seemed like a nice way to get around.  Sadly, I cannot remember the name of this walkway. 

 

How would they water these to areas of green ?  I watched them water a Wat's lawn with a 40 meter long spray from a water truck.  They would have to come up with a better way to water this new greenery. 

If the walkway even had a name. I call it the Tobacco Monopoly/Luphini walkway (it is also intended for bicycles). However, it cannot be used to continue to the Tobacco Monopoly/Soi 10 portion of the walkway as the pass through at Duang Phithak Road (often logically referred to as Soi 0) is blocked and the ramps must be taken HERE on Soi 0 down to or up from street level where there is a poorly-maintained bicycle path that connects with Sukhumvit Road.

 

The Soi 0 bicycle path and the walkway are the best way to avoid motor vehicles and people (safest way - except for the occasional motorbike using the bicycle path, but not the easiest) when cycling or walking from lower Sukhumvit Road to Lumphini Park.

Edited May 7, 2018 by MaxYakov

[Jeremy50]

Often, the Thais idea of gardens, and parks are patches of grass with ugly blue water pipes sticking up all over the place, and concrete walkways. If you  want to see beautiful gardens and parks go to England or Italy. I left Bangkok because of the pollution, traffic and overcrowding 15 years ago, and I'm very glad I made that decision. It's not a healthy place to live and/or especially to bring up children.

[Just Weird]

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

“Everyone needs a healthy city, so we’re working closely with the National Health Commission Office and brainstorming with the government, private sector and civil society to propose policy to the Health Ministry for turning Bangkok and other big urban areas into ‘Public Cities for all’.”

 

The answer is easy.... stop destroying every patch of available ground & putting up shopping malls, office blocks, condo's etc etc

The problem is vacant land has a value... authorities should put money/profit aside and build a park instead.

They don't understand the benefit in the long term value of enriching health instead of personal enrichment!!

Don't expect any change in policy any time soon!!

The problem seems to be that a few people here don't realise that the vacant land not only has value it also has owners!  Authorities can't do anything with other people's land regardless of what Thaivisa posters think should be done with it.