Bangkok Aims for More Green Space with 130 New Parks by 2026

[snoop1130]

 

The city of Bangkok, under the leadership of Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, is making strides towards sustainability. Going beyond the Green Bangkok 2030 plan, the governor is now focused on a new ecological project.

 

Chadchart's vision is to develop a city with easy-to-reach green areas within 15 minutes. The aim is to construct 130 parks and plant two million trees by 2026 which is a significant progress considering they managed to plant one million trees in two years.

 

As soon as he began his term as governor, he personally set the pace by planting the first tree, highlighted by the city's head of sustainability and adviser to the governor, Pornphrom Vikitsreth.

 

Thailand as a country has been battling significant environmental problems, such as decreasing biodiversity, soil erosion and deforestation. The situation is further heightened in major cities like Bangkok where air pollution stemming from traffic and industrial fumes is quite high. Alongside this, the rising plastic waste is causing increased pollution in water and land ecosystems.

 

Despite its 10 million population, Bangkok has limited green areas per person. Thus, increasing these spaces is vital to improve the livability of the city and elevate its appeal to expatriates, providing competitiveness with nearby cities like Singapore.

 

Moving away from the Green Bangkok 2030 plan, which was in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, Chadchart is now targeting the development of smaller parks in underserved areas to ensure fair access to green spaces for everyone.

 

The new plan, "15-minute park concept", means that essentials such as schools, malls, eateries and park spaces will be within a 15-minute walk for residents. Prioritizing parks, rather than building one or two large parks each year, the city will now focus on public spaces that are smaller but more spread out.

 

 

Choosing a new park location involves a well-thought-out procedure. Firstly, they analyze the residents' needs by assessing densely populated areas close to community centers. Then they invite the community to discuss their requirements and finally design the park considering people's feedback.

 

BMA wishes to include the local community from the beginning of the process to improve park upkeep and security once operational. This plan also generates a sense of ownership among the locals.

 

Creating pocket parks in an intensely populated city has been tough. Initiatives like making use of spaces under expressways, transforming concrete spaces into green areas, appropriating parts of parking lots, and cooperating with local schools to make their grounds open to the public after school hours have been undertaken as solutions.

 

Trees and green spaces are essential for the physical and mental well-being of people, improving air quality, assisting with carbon capture and drainage, providing shade and making cities more pleasant to live in.

 

A new policy introducing 50 tree specialists, also known as tree doctors, has also been implemented to ensure the survival of the trees. These specialists are trained to scrutinise and maintain the overall health of trees as opposed to performing routine care.

 

The city, in 2022, only had one tree doctor but this number has now increased to 15 under the current administration with more to join through ongoing training and certification initiatives.

 

The residents are pleased with the new governor and his initiatives, and to ensure high quality, park quality inspectors are employed to assess the condition of the parks.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-07-22

 

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[Ralf001]

What year are they relocating Bangers to higher ground ?

[mfd101]

14 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

What year are they relocating Bangers to higher ground ?

Funnily enough, if they plant all the trees they say they're going to do (and good on them), the effect might be to delay the flooding of Bangers by perhaps 1 year ...

[john donson]

plant water sucking trees near the canals? 

[realfunster]

They’ve opened one of these new parks on Suk 50, where the expressway exit ramp joins the soi.

It’s partially under the expressway, probably about 2-3 football pitches in total size .

 

I suppose you might question the sense of sticking a park under an expressway, with the concomitant exhaust fumes but I suppose there are not many available plots around Bangkok for such use. 
 

It’s a pleasant enough spot for a few minutes relaxation or exercise, I have never seen many people using it though. 
 

 

[BobDobbs]

On 7/22/2024 at 4:38 PM, snoop1130 said:

Chadchart's vision is to develop a city with easy-to-reach green areas within 15 minutes. The aim is to construct 130 parks and plant two million trees by 2026

 

If he can do this they should build a statue in monument to him in every park

 

I have severe doubts