Bangkok’s Green Infrastructure

Abstract

Infrastructure is the basic foundation of all civilized urban settlements around the world, reflected in each city’s lifestyle and quality of life. Infrastructure is organized around utilities and facilities that connect every part of the city together. Typical infrastructure includes roads, water supply, sewers, power, telecommunications, etc. A city’s urban infrastructure system is much more complex in terms of the many levels of developments underneath the ground, on the ground, and up in the air to facilitate transportation and communication. Multi-functional areas serve people’s needs at the same time. Green infrastructure is an interconnected green space network that is planned and managed for its natural resource values and is related to urban ecology. Bangkok has green infrastructure that we need to protect in the long term. With the growth of a fast expanding city like Bangkok, we seem to have forgotten our cultural and historic way of living in a city once well-known as the “Venice of the East”. Nowadays, our canals have been replaced by roads and boats have been replaced by cars. The city has been developing so fast, without any planning on the use of green infrastructure. Bangkok’s green infrastructure could be an integrated network of green spaces for our sustainable future.