Mall or park? In crowded Bangkok, ‘last’ open space stirs debate

Civic groups say the evictions and redevelopment plans mostly target poor communities who have no formal rights over the land

The fate of a large green space in the middle of one of the world’s most built-up cities is pitting communities and conservationists against developers and cash-strapped authorities in a battle that is increasingly common in Asia.

The Makkasan area in central Bangkok, measuring about 80 hectares – or roughly 80 rugby fields – houses a train station, a workshop, warehouses and some homes in a green expanse that stands in contrast to the sleek high-rise buildings all around.

Debates around the Makkasan land – owned by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) – have raged for years as it is the final remaining open space in a city with too few parks.

“It is the last big space we have in Bangkok, and our last opportunity to create a big green space for the people. We must not waste it,” said Pongkwan Lassus, an architect and designer.

“Besides the space, many of the buildings have historic and architectural value. We must conserve this heritage for future generations, not knock it all down for malls,” she said.

Across booming Asian cities, open spaces and older buildings are making way for expressways and modern office and apartment towers that critics say rob them of their character, widen inequalities and magnify the harmful effects of urban sprawl.

Last year, a community of more than 300 people living next to an old fort in Bangkok were evicted and their traditional wooden buildings razed to make way for a public park that critics say is meant only to impress tourists.

Read the full article on Thomson Reuters Foundation

Author: Rina Chandran

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