Towards the rehabilitation of the open space and footpaths in a residential estate : the case of Khlong Chan Residential Estate, Bangkok, Thailand | |
| Author | Sukumaporn Jongpukdee |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.UE-00-04 |
| Subject(s) | Open spaces--Thailand--Bangkok--Environmental aspects Trails--Thailand--Bangkok--Environmental aspects |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development. |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The basic unit of a city is a neighborhood. A neighborhood environment is an important domain of the quality of life. Good neighborhood environments enhance life's satisfaction, and the individual's overall sense of well being. It also supports effective and efficient improvement of physical and moral health of neighborhood' inhabitants; therefore, it must be well designed and well maintain. The most significant neighborhood environment is open space that includes street. The study aims at exploring the present mechanisms and present rehabilitation processes and to recommend suitable mechanisms and processes in a neighborhood rehabilitation program in which neighborhood's citizens play a role of professional about life in the community, while professionals play a crucial role of technical support and feasibility of such rehabilitation program. Khlong Chan Residential Estate is a government-built neighborhood that has been housed low and middle-income people of Bangkok since 1953. The physical environments especially open space and footpaths have been deteriorating and dilapidating. The daily need of inhabitants for having recreational space near their accommodation was not met. Additionally, the encroachment of the footpaths by some neighborhood's residents for operating their businesses causes difficulties for walking pedestrians especially children, elderly and disabled people. Responsible government agencies have been cooperating with community organizations to relocate street vendors and rehabilitate the open space and footpaths. However, the process is very slow. Furthermore, the rehabilitation program did not effectively involve all of the inhabitants-especially tenants, which is now half of the neighborhood's residents, in the process resulting the dissatisfied-product and absence of commitment from the inhabitants to maintain the rehabilitation's outcome. The low management skills of the community organizations' members and ineffective corporation among government agencies are among the reasons. It was also found that different types of inhabitants have different needs and preferences towards the open space and footpaths development especially children. Hence, the provision of training in management skills for community organizations' members is recommended. The establishment of tenants' representative at community organization's level is introduced to involve all of the inhabitants in the rehabilitation process. In addition, the establishment of the "Advisory for Neighborhood Rehabilitation" is initiated to assist community's people in planning and designing aspect. The rehabilitation programs should be arranged in series of workshops to gather requirements and desires of each peer group of the inhabitants. Eventually, it needed integrated programs that are the environmental campaigns, good physical design and good rehabilitation process to enhance good open space and footpaths of this community. |
| Year | 2001 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Urban Environmental and Management (UE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Jamieson, Walter |
| Examination Committee(s) | Zimmermann, Willi ;Yongtanit Pimonsathean |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Canadian International Development Agency/ Asian Institute of Technology-Canadian Universities Consortium/Partnership Project (CIDA/ AIT-CUC/PP) Asian Institute of Technology National Housing Authority, Thailand |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2001 |