Exploring urban landscape change and value: a case study of the waterways in Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, a prominent urban centre in Southeast Asia, has a rich network of waterways shaped by its historical settlement. However, rapid urbanisation and unchecked growth have led to the degradation of these riparian cultural landscapes. This has led to vulnerability, exacerbated by uncertain climate change, and underscores Bangkok's status as one of Southeast Asia's most exposed coastal cities, as evidenced by the floods in 2011. Literature indicates that management interventions addressing flooding and heritage preservation have led to this urban landscape degradation and exacerbated local exclusion. Various academic studies have proposed alternative strategies, however, the status quo remains unchanged, with cultural heritage deterioration persisting alongside recurring urban flooding.

This research addresses the intricate nature of Bangkok’s urban waterway transformation and its values, exploring how governance processes have influenced these changes. Three main overarching research questions are: How has the landscape of Bangkok’s urban waterways changed over time, and what has influenced its alteration? How are Bangkok’s urban waterways valued by different stakeholders? How is knowledge about Bangkok’s urban waterways articulated by policymakers and practitioners, and how does this knowledge contribute to its governance and decision-making?

The institutional mechanisms and decision-making processes governing flood management and heritage preservation in relation to the management of Bangkok’s urban waterways are examined to explore how knowledge and landscape values feature in this process. To do this, the study calls on primary data collected through extensive qualitative fieldwork, involving interviews and workshops with government agencies, experts, practitioners, NGOs, and residents in three waterway-adjacent communities, Banpantom, Minburi Upatum, and Talad Nongchok.

The findings identify a complex transformation of Bangkok’s waterways that is intricately influenced by management actions, resulting in reduced accessibility, shifting settlement patterns, and complicated land ownership issues. Findings underscore the ongoing hindered agency working processes that influence urban waterway change. The research shows how different stakeholders consider alternatives in urban waterways’ management stemming from the values they hold as professionals and highlights the potential contribution of locals as occupiers of intrinsically valued urban landscapes. These values reflect cultural complexity surrounding waterways which are variably translated into waterway management practices. Collaborative workshops demonstrate how a wealth of diverse perspectives has the potential to bring together knowledge, where separated expertise and values can be occupied and effectively integrated.

This concrete evidence emphasises the pressing requirement for collaborative efforts among agencies in Bangkok and meaningful engagement of residents in landscape management. It underscores the necessity for adopting a new strategy involving a multi-stakeholder approach and partnerships to address the complexities of the landscape amidst environmental uncertainties and promote social inclusivity in the face of contemporary urban challenges.