Questions/Answers

The Development of Healthy space in Bangkok was firstly implemented in Phasicharoen District last 5 years. It was an innovation, which started from people in seven communities that intentionally cooperated with partners as Research Center for Community Development (RCFCD) of Siam University and Phasicharoen District Office. A common purpose was willing to solve the environmental problems. Communities primarily proposed their pain points to partners and then they jointly initiated solutions by transforming unoccupied and hazardous areas into utilizable spaces. They changed unused tracts under the bridge to healthy space as exercise grounds, vegetable plots, and learning center where all people in the communities could use and maintain them thoroughly. Moreover, in the nearly future, this pilot project will be expanded the best practices to 49 districts of Bangkok because the Governor of Bangkok already contained the project to his policy and strategic plan. He hopes that people in Bangkok will have high quality of life and tons of happiness. It is an outstanding project and example case that represented the power of participation among people, communities, government agencies, and private sector to enhance the sustainable development in all healthy space aspects of civil life.

The transformation of unoccupied and hazardous areas in Phasicharoen district communities (Bangkok) into healthy spaces enhanced sustainable communities. Changes were occurred by landscaping, gardening, planting vegetable, and creating facilities as bike lane, exercise ground, learning center, etc. The results came from integrating collaboration among people, communities, government agencies, and private sector to manage obstacles and create sustainable development in all aspects of healthy space. It is an outstanding project that represented the authentic power of participation

The project supports SDG 11 Sustainable cities and Communities and SDG 17 Partnership for the goals. It can eradicate the pain of people in Phasicharoen district communities by transforming unoccupied and hazardous (unsafety) areas into utilizable or healthy spaces. People in seven communities initiated and cooperated with partners, both private and public sector; comprised of Research Center for Community Development (RCFCD) of Siam University and Phasicharoen District Office, in order to change unused tracts under the bridge to healthy spaces as exercise grounds, vegetable plots, and learning center. The obvious advantage of this project is not only the increasing of land price but also the good interaction or relationship among people in communities, business sector, and government agencies. They have been united both in action and spirit to develop and maintain healthy space environment. The pain then becomes smile, love, and harmony at present. In addition, communities have always listened to opinion and critic from others for improvement. It seems like they look at the rear-view mirror in a car, which helps us to plan the appropriate route ahead to achieve the challenged success; the prosperity that full of happiness and healthy space circumstances for all people in communities.

The project enhances good relationship among communities, business sector, and government agencies. They have been united to develop and maintain healthy space environment. People in communities become smile and harmony. Three years ago, the project was included in strategic plan of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for expanding best practices to others as an example case of social development via participation. It can be guaranteed that in the future, Bangkok will have more healthy spaces and sustainable communities. Moreover, the project also enhances prosperity to communities. People sell their handmade products to visitors, earn more revenues, and have better quality of life.

Since starting the project, staff of Phasicharoen District Office have inquired and coordinated with people in 7 pilot communities and 4 sub-districts regularly. There were 451 community leaders and 30 local wisdom folks to contact. It was approximately 50% of people in the communities but those people could convey the messages to others. That was the reason why they had developed and maintained the healthy space in communities readily because most of them agreed and assisted the leaders to implement the project; for examples, Lerdsuksom community, they had changed unused tracts under the bridge and polluted canal into healthy spaces as vegetable plots and beautiful garden in two years including reform of landscape. Finally, they had healthy spaces and better environment in the community that was upgraded to level 4 of Bangkok community grading. It proved that they did not leave no one behind and everyone had happiness and good quality of life together.

The real sustainable community development is the evolution by themselves (people in community) because they will know their requirements. Hence, people in 7 pilot communities had various attributes including gender. The project never differentiated the development plan by gender or arranged facilities for any gender. They treated everyone the same. Everybody could use all healthy spaces equally.

Participation is the key to motivate positive power from people in communities. It stimulates agreement or consensus to develop and join every activity in healthy spaces together. From prototype project, it was not only people in communities to participate but also other parties as police, army, health center, private sector, and Phasicharoen District Office were participated in the same project. They integrated positive power together to implement the success. In the future, the development of healthy spaces will be in the form of working group and BMA will have plan to expand best practices from the prototype project to other communities in 49 districts. There will be healthy spaces in many places of Bangkok. People will have better quality of life and happiness. However, our ultimate goal, if possible, is the most communities in Thailand will recognize and bring this model or prototype project to implement successfully.

The project was implemented as steps follows: 1. Making a strategic plan and seek allies. Phasicharoen district staff had arranged meetings with Research Center for Community Development (RCFCD) of Siam University, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Phasicharoen District Office, and community representative. 2. Setting Vision by aspiring Phasicharoen District be the first healthy space of Bangkok. The Objectives of project were; developing targeted area to be healthy spaces for social activities, planting vegetable, creating exercise ground, and gardening (beautiful landscape). Other objective was integrating allies to implement a prototype community or best practice of developing healthy space city. 3. Surveying and gathering information especially the requirement of people in 54 communities 4. Selecting prototype communities (7 from 54 communities) 5. Arranging the meeting among allies 6. Visiting pilot communities (on field work). Allies comprised of Phasicharoen District Office, Research Center for Community Development (RCFCD) of Siam University, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, private schools, temples, army, bike club, Siam Architect Club, etc. They did many brainstorming events to identify practices and solutions together. 7. Establishing Phasicharoen Healthy space Development Committee and Bangkok Healthy space Development Committee (if possible) in order to create mechanism to run the project smoothly. The procedures were driven by 6 principles as research and development, seeking allies, teaching others, communication with people, lesson learned from practice, and create institutional mechanism.

The project had many problems. At the beginning, some people in communities did not accept the change. Homeless people stayed in the targeted areas under the bridge. They had gangs and drunk alcohol. Some people did not like the gang and tried to evict them from the areas. After that, it became war. They had conflict with each other. Staff of Phasicharoen District Office and allies had negotiated with both of those separated groups many times until they understood and accepted the transformation. No one lost benefit.

In the old day, when government agencies did a project, it had to do everything solely as determining problems, planning, implementing, evaluating, and reporting. Participation was happened in some cases but most of them was focused on government dictation. Apart from this project, people initiated to find problems and solutions. They discussed the information together and enhanced allies as government agencies, private sector, army, clubs, etc. to propose solutions. They arranged community platforms and several meetings to get feedback and run the project. This kind of action was an innovation for new public management in local government of Thailand.

The inspiration of the project came from BTS or sky train project (the construction of Bangwah Station and Blue-lined on Petchkasem Road). Innovation have changed everything since the BTS sky train came on. Environment around BTS route was shifted from agricultural areas to modernized villages and condominium. People had to change way of life and sky train would generate many risks such as crime, economy (high cost of living), health, pollution, etc. to the communities. Thus, the development of healthy spaces was an innovation or solution that would help those affected people from the problems and risks.

The project had applied new technology to communicate information with the public such as radio, TV, newspaper, website, social media, etc. They had built at least 12 communication networks in order to convey messages to allies and relevant people in communities regularly. Accumulative PR value was around 15 million baht.

After the pilot project in 7 communities was success, responsible team had expanded the practice to other 18 communities until Bangkok Metropolitan Administration staff visited Phasicharoen District Office and found that the project would be useful for other communities in Bangkok. Therefore, BMA staff filled that idea or project in strategic plan including governor policy in order to expand the practice to other 49 districts. At present, BMA believes that in a few years, Bangkok will have many healthy spaces and most people will be happy.

The development of healthy spaces in unoccupied areas by giving opportunity for people and other relevant parties to participate, incurred changes in communities. The project had potentials to expand the best practice to other people via social media, site visit, and knowledge sharing sessions between interested person and people in Phasicharoen district communities. The project had many teams, staff, and instructors to support it.

The project received budget from 2 sources. First was annually budget of Phasicharoen District Office including staff and tools. Another resource was from other allies as Thai Health Promotion Foundation and Research Center for Community Development (RCFCD) of Siam University. They supported research and development (R & D) fund. It proved that the project was truly success by participation.

Major factor that affected performance was people in communities because participation would occur when they understood and accepted idea of the project. Willingness led to success and expanded to others.

Yes

The project had ever been evaluated by Siam University by asking 80 community leaders thru questionnaire and held focus group with other 15 community leaders, 450 members of 15 communities, 60 people from 7 communities, and representatives from relevant parties. Recommendations from them were implemented in healthy spaces and 12 risky areas (around 3,300 square two meters) were transformed into healthy spaces that had cost about 159 million baht.

The project was evaluated performance by using purposing sampling and questionnaire. Target comprised of 80 community leaders to answer questionnaire. Another tool was focus group with other 15 community leaders, 450 members of 15 communities, 60 people from 7 communities, and representatives from relevant parties. Results shown that people satisfied the project in 3 activities of healthy spaces: 1. Planting and cooking foods 2. Exercising 3. Special events Recommendations had been implemented in healthy spaces as planning, improving management, and creating various activities with government agencies. Moreover, 12 risky areas (around 3,300 square two meters) were transformed into healthy spaces

The outcomes were social interaction among people in communities, teamwork, unity, and networking that could have benefits in the long run. The other outcomes were quality of life, smile, and more participation in metropolitan administration. Those outcomes were useful for enhancing sustainable cities and communities.

Institutional mechanism of this project could be divided into 2 levels. 1. Collaboration among parties as Phasicharoen District Office, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Research Center for Community Development (RCFCD) of Siam University, Mahidol University, Kasetsart University, Thammasat University, Chulalongkorn University, and University of Technology King Mongkut’s University Thonburi. 2. Collaboration among people. There were 10 networks of people from various occupations as healthy advisor, journalist, teacher, civil servant, reporter, etc. including monk. Networks were aimed to run the project and activities. People in networks were from both inside and outside Phasicharoen district.

Starting with Problem identification, Phasicharoen District Office staff firstly talked with people in communities and then challenged them to find the real problems. Participation and acknowledgment made them feel like they were owner of project. Everyone could speak and made better communities. They could change unoccupied and hazardous areas into healthy spaces. If they did not have fund, they could ask stakeholders to support. That was the reason why many allies were involved and encouraged the project to achieve goals of SDG and 2030 Agenda.

Relevant parties have learnt the best practice to develop healthy spaces in communities especially the unoccupied and hazardous areas that could be rapidly transformed into better spaces. They have also learnt methodology to create participation and how to negotiate with people who did not accept any changes. In this world, there are many communities and some of them definitely has unoccupied and hazardous areas. The practice from the project is useful and can adapt with any circumstances to create healthy spaces. It also helps to decrease unsafety and useless areas where create many problems. Afterwards, the project staff should do more research and collect further information in order to create a manual of developing healthy spaces in communities and publish it to the public in order to enhance sustainable cities and happy communities around the world