In an effort to turn Bangkok into a green city, new Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt made an early start on numerous challenging projects in order to expand urban green spaces and enhance public parks.
Mr Chadchart said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has started working together with agencies, the business enterprise sector, and nearby communities in Bangkok to develop new “15 Minute Pocket Parks” throughout the capital, consistent with his ambitious plan to ensure easy access to green spaces for all.
Throughout his election campaign, Mr Chadchart suggested 216 policies because his proposed solution to nine of the capital’s most pressing issues — public security, creativity and culture, economic, transport, community health, infrastructure, schooling, management and environment.
Among these policies was obviously a plan to address the particular city’s environmental problems.
With the lack of urban eco-friendly spaces and unequal access to public parks topping polls of voters’ concerns, “15 Minute Pocket Parks”, aimed at expanding little parks and community green spaces to cover every corner from the city, was seen as one of Mr Chadchart’s flagship policies.
However , Bangkok is a densely filled city with over 9 million authorized inhabitants that presently affords each of them typically 7. 6 square metres of nearby green space, a figure far lower than the World Health Company (WHO) recommendation associated with 9sq m.
That means it’s going to a challenging task to procure empty plenty in the city to develop new public recreational areas.
A study by the Urban Design and Development Center (UDDC) from Chulalongkorn University discovered that a typical Bangkok resident must traveling 4. 5km on average to reach his or her closest green space.
Fortunately, the individuals who will be thought to be key stakeholders in the project are already rallying around.
Mr Chadchart mentioned work to find or make space regarding his new pocket parks has begun in earnest, with the BMA in negotiations with private landowners and administrative bodies to give over their empty plots to the task.
“On July 5, we all discussed the plan to utilize the empty a lot in the communities possessed by the National Casing Authority to develop communal public green areas, ” he mentioned.
“If we reach an agreement with the National Casing Authority, we can change much of the empty land dotted around many communities in to neighbourhood parks how the local people can easily accessibility and use. inch
Based on Bangkok Metropolitan Management (BMA) data with regard to public parks and green spaces, Bangkok has 8, 922 public green areas, consisting of a total land area of 26, 329 rai.
In addition to government room, he said the particular BMA also contacted the business sector to talk about the possibility of developing community green spaces upon privately owned property in the form of Privately Owned Public Space (POPS).
In exchange, the BMA will offer you a tax incentive for public services to find partners pertaining to joint development, or come up with administrative contracts such as maintenance plus cleaning by the BMA, or public electricity services by the condition sector, Mr Chadchart said.
He said he and the BMA group had met Siam Cement Group (SCG) executives earlier last month to seek authorization to use 53 rai of land surrounding a pond in Chatuchak District possessed by SCG as being a public park.
In addition to his “Pocket Parks”, Mr Chadchart said the BMA will also start a city-wide tree-planting project.
“We have established a goal to herb 1 million trees within the next four years. With cooperation from other agencies and the private sector, we are going to steadily plant more trees on every Weekend. So we would like to request all Bangkok residents to participate by registering your intentions of plant a shrub with the BMA with the new ‘BKK-plant’ mobile application, ‘” he or she said.
The project has been well received from the public. “In the very first month alone, we have received… intent through the public to grow over 1 . 3 or more million trees, inch he said. “Therefore, we may extend the goal to herb 2 million trees in the future, ” he added.
As Bangkok’s brand new administrative team directed by Mr Chadchart begins to greenify the city, Yossapon Boonsom, a top Thai landscape architect and director of Shma Company Limited, said the success of BMA’s mission depends on shut collaboration with other important stakeholders.
“I agree the particular ’15 Minute Pocket Parks’ policy is a good solution to the city’s lack of green area. We really do require easily accessible parks, ” Mr Yossapon said.
However , to make sure that this policy will be fruitful, this individual suggested the BMA needs to seek out obvious and inclusive cooperation key partners, specifically the business sector plus local communities, because it must ultimately safe not just land, but also co-management of the brand new parks.
“The business sector has plenty of resources to assist with the BMA’s plan to expand more public green spaces, but each company has different talents and interests, so the BMA needs to be crystal clear on which areas members can best contribute to the project and what is the most suitable incentive it can give them in return, ” he stated.
“Meanwhile, the BMA also needs to work closely along with local communities plus residents, especially on project planning plus management, because eventually we need to develop the area that suits these communities’ needs plus make sure there is a correct management system in place, or otherwise the recreation area may be left empty and unmaintained. inch
He also suggested the particular BMA should not be so strict with its definition of the parks since places for communing with nature.
In fact they can serve many features as public areas, for instance as sites to stage shows or hold outdoor movie screenings.
“There will be a lot of potential in the ’15 Minute Pocket Parks’ and I really hope that it can bring about a more liveable town for everyone, ” he added.