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New Place Identity: Redefining Bangkok Old Town Area as the New Creative District
Author(s)
Date Issued
January 1, 2024
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
In 2018, The Thai Government launched urban renewal projects in various Thailand provinces, including the capital city. In Bangkok, Charoen Krung district was selected by Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) as the new creative urban district in Bangkok. This paper aims to explore and evaluate the renewed urban identity of Charoen Krung district, whereby BMA’s urban renewal project has been implemented. The project has been implemented for three years from 2018 to 2021, but there is currently no empirical research for the evaluation of the success in terms of a renewed urban identity. In 2021, this research was conducted with 77 research participants, including both local residents and visitors. Photo-elicitation and in-depth interviews were adopted within the qualitative research process, with the aim of understanding participants’ given meanings; the renewed urban identity of place, to their everyday contextual experiences of the Charoen Krung district. The method triangulation, including (1) the on-site survey with researcher-produced-photograph (RPP), (2) participant-produced-photographs (PPP), and (3) in-depth elicitation interviews, with residents and visitors, was adopted. PPP and in-depth interviews were adopted for two groups of participants: (1) local residents and (2) visitors. Interview data were transcribed and interpreted with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. Sub-themes and super-ordinate themes emerged as the reflective meaning of Charoen Krung’s renewed place identity. Eventually, the meaning of creative district and specific identity has been differently perceived and defined by residents and visitors. In addition, the results and methods used in this research project are expected to be adopted and applied as practical guidance for evaluating the further evaluation of other urban renewal urban identity projects in other provinces of Thailand.
Citation
Advances in Science Technology and Innovation, 35-45, 2024