Chulalongkorn University celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding with the grand opening of the new CU Centenary Park, a 29 rai plot of green space located along Soi Chula 9, in the Suan Luang area. The March 26 event was attended by dignitaries from the university, as well as HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who is herself an alumni of the university's Faculty of Arts.
The CU Centenary Park will become one of the few green areas in Bangkok, something the inner areas of the city sorely need, according to Dr Wisanu Subsompon, the university's vice-president for Property and Innovation Management.
The new park is altering the urban landscape of one of Bangkok's districts, the traditional area of Sam Yan, Suan Luang Market and Xiang Gong, known as a hub for second-hand spare parts.
The Xiang Gong community, an old Chinese neighbourhood in Bangkok. Photos: Pawat Laopaisarntaksin
A Present for the Future
Less than a tenth the size of the nearby Lumpini Park (which is about 360 rai), the Centenary Park is nonetheless one of the few wide-open patches of green land in Bangkok, something the city will sorely need in the future.
"On the occasion of Chulalongkorn University's 100th anniversary, we wanted to do something that would commemorate the milestone, but also be beneficial to society," said Dr Wisanu.
"These days, Bangkok is filled with condominiums and shopping malls, but very few places where people can gather for actual recreational activities, which are very important for achieving a healthy quality of life. It is our hope that the CU Centenary Park will offer the people of Bangkok a new choice in where to spend their time productively."
While still undergoing minor construction in some areas, most of the park is now open to the public, offering a 1km jogging path, a bicycle lane, eight smaller activity spaces and one larger, open-air area for large-scale events. Each smaller activity area is said to hold about 50 people, while the larger area can hold thousands of people, according to Dr Wisanu.
Centenary Park also will act as a model for water management, an issue that will only get worse for Bangkok in the future, both from flooding and drought. Built on slightly-sloping ground, the park's design allows unabsorbed rain-water to naturally flow down to a reservoir pond at the end of the park, or the "wetland" areas towards the sides, where water can be slowly absorbed by the park's porous concrete paths and plants alike.
Small shrubs and flowers are planted along the footpaths in place of metal drainage grates, to enhance the natural atmosphere while also absorbing water. The wetland areas also work to naturally filter water to a degree, ensuring that the water always stays clean.
"The park was designed to be a gift for the future Bangkok, something that will serve the needs of the city's people," said Dr Wisanu.
The Xiang Gong community, an old Chinese neighbourhood in Bangkok. Photos: Pawat Laopaisarntaksin
City of Innovation
Dr Wisanu added that the park is the first in a series of projects that will transform the archaic Sam Yan and Suan Luang neighbourhoods into a miniature "smart city". The next project will see the immediate areas surrounding Centenary Park transformed into new residential projects (similar to the current CU Terrace condominium) as well as a variety of sectioned areas dedicated to various fields of innovation, from healthcare and technology to start-up entrepreneurship, in order to turn the area into a contained community, where people can live, work and socialise.
"One of the things we plan to include is a sort of 'Museum Of The Future', where businesses from various fields can exhibit their own innovative projects to the public and Chulalongkorn students alike. For example, one area may be dedicated to technological innovations from companies such as Google or Apple, while another can be dedicated to healthcare."
Furthermore, the university plans to build a wide avenue connecting Rama 1 and 4, which can also be used for various community or student activities as well. The area will also be open to students who want to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
"An engineering student who developed an app for parking could test run it in the smart city, or art students can hold their own exhibitions along the avenue," said Dr Wisanu.
"Our goal with this smart city is to create an environment of learning not only for our students, but for the larger Bangkok public as well."
Out with the Old
While the ambitious redevelopment plans laid out by Dr Wisanu undeniably bring to mind a brighter future for many, the long-time residents of the historic Sam Yan and Suan Luang areas may soon be forced to relocate from their homes to make way for Chulalongkorn University's vision for the area.
One of the very first Thai neighbourhoods to see a large gathering of Chinese traders and businesses, these areas are among the city's most well-known commercial districts, with areas like the Sam Yan Market and the Xiang Gong mechanics community having existed almost as long as the Chulalongkorn University. Being royally-granted land, however, the two aforementioned neighbourhoods are technically owned by the university, with residents acting as long-term renters. This gives the university the authority to discontinue renting contracts once they expire, giving residents no choice but to move out.
In recent years, with the development of many new projects in the area such as the CU Terrace condominiums, Am Park complex and Suan Luang Square, many original residents have already been forced to move their homes or businesses elsewhere, while newer residents -- taking advantage of the newly-opened complexes -- rush in to fill the gap.
"Most of the wealthier families around here have already packed up their businesses and moved to the suburbs," said Winai Chaiyapong, a long-time employee of Rstyle Racing, a cars accessories store that has been operating in the Suan Luang area for over a decade, but was forced to relocate to a new location to make way for the new Suan Luang Square.
"The only ones left here are the ones that have no choice, who don't really know where to go or what to do next. I think it's great that they're building a new park close to where I live, but it's also tough not to feel sorry for the people who are forced to move away. The new location also isn't very ideal for my store, so business has also been a little quiet, but there's nowhere else to go."
Meanwhile, newcomers like music-store Ba Ngiab Seng -- which just opened in the new Suan Luang Square two years ago -- views these new developments as prime opportunities to move their businesses to a more urban neighbourhood deeper in the city. Maitri, the store's owner, says that foot traffic hasn't been too busy with construction still ongoing, but he believes the new projects will turn the area into a prime location in the near future. Having moved to live in the neighbourhood along with his store, Maitri is optimistic about the developments, which he thinks will ultimately improve the area's quality of life.
"In the long-term, I suppose it's always good thing that new neighbourhoods are being developed and modernised in the city, though I also sympathise with those who have been here all their lives. As a new resident though, I'm very glad to have areas like the Centenary Park or Suan Luang Square, as it makes living here that much more convenient."
Similar to Maitri's optimism, many students of Chulalongkorn also see these new developments as a positive, saying that the newly developed areas help improve the neighbourhood's safety at night, especially for students who live in the dormitories around the university.
Napas Jira, a fourth-year student at the university's Faculty of Communication Arts who lives in the nearby CU Terrace, says that the newly-constructed areas are a marked improvement over the dark alleyways she experienced during her first year, as the new facilities are usually accompanied by new street lamps as well, while complexes like Suan Luang Square and open areas like Centenary Park give students like her more spaces for activities.
"This neighbourhood has changed a lot in the four year's I've been here," she said.
"I am definitely excited about the new changes. It's a little sad to think that many of the old restaurants and old-town atmosphere might not be here anymore, but in the end it does make the neighbourhood much safer and productive for students."
