Bangkok Planning Needs Resilience To Save Billions

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Bangkok planning needs resilience to save billions
Juarawee Kittisilpa
New York

NEW YORK: -- Bangkok has been advised to be resilient in its approach to growth, while its city planning should start early to keep up with urbanisation, as well as mitigate any impact from unforeseeable incidents caused by climate change.

Unprecedented natural disasters have become serious issues for cities like Bangkok, which weathered the devastating 2011 flooding that caused an estimated US$45 billion (Bt1.34 trillion) in damage.

New York City was also battered by Hurricane Sandy last year, the second-costliest in US history, which crippled the New York Stock Exchange for two days.

Thus the threats from climate change cannot be taken lightly in the approach to city planning.

But at the same time, such metropolises want to achieve competitive development in terms of the economy, quality of life and environment.

A study by Germany's industrial bellwether Siemens together with one of the United States' oldest urban research organisations, the Regional Plan Association, showed that resilient urban planning was becoming a new trend in city development as it can cut damage and promise enhanced productivity.

"It's the question whether or not our infrastructure can take a huge blow, in terms of being intact even though coming out of a disaster impact - or whether you can shut parts out and let the core system continue running," Dr Roland Busch, chief executive officer of Siemens' infrastructure and cities sector, told reporters in New York.

"We can't prevent natural disasters, but with our knowledge and our technologies we can better protect our infrastructure … Resil-ient infrastructure is not an option but a must."

The new paradigm has now shifted to a more interconnected and smart infrastructure solution to metropolitan expansion, which calls for related agencies to work together in the planning process, whether it be officials from transport, security or energy sector.

"In Bangkok in particular, it's really mandatory that you do start the planning early because normally traffic goes faster than you expect," Busch said.

But architectural experts say the process of city planning for Thailand still faces the problem of isolated planning between local and central administrative bodies. There's still a limit for local administration on what it can or cannot do, according to Wijitbusaba Marome, a professor with the faculty of architecture and planning at Thammasat University.

Experts warn that if Thailand does not start planning its approach holistically and take the agenda to a national level, the Kingdom may never be ready to deal with external and extreme risks, where impacts could be severe.

"It is considered an emergency already, in this period of time. Because it is very hard to tell people what to do or to prepare for in the next 30 years.

"We may have to come up with a new education paradigm to tell the younger generation what climate change is, and ask how they are going to cope with risk. It will take time and it needs to be implemented now," she said.


-- The Nation 2013-05-29

[NongKhaiKid]

Bangkok, in fact the country, needs less corruption and they could save a helluva lot more.

[OzMick]

""In Bangkok in particular, it's really mandatory that you do start the planning early because normally traffic goes faster than you expect,"

In Bangkok, I plan to leave early because normally the traffic goes much slower than I expect.

[TackyToo]

Bangkok has been advised to be resilient in its approach to growth, while its city planning should start early to keep up with urbanisation, as well as mitigate any impact from unforeseeable incidents caused by climate change.

This should have been in the "news" at least 50 years ago. I wonder what kind of city planning they are talking about. Does it really happen here?

[worgeordie]

Resilience ? does not make sense, they need common sense,and really

take corruption seriously ,maybe like they do in China,steal off the people

pay with your life, then I am sure you would see corruption drop,BUT who

would make these stricter laws........,.so thats not going to happen any time

soon.

regards Worgeordie