# Designing Cities Where People and Nature Coexist | Thanawin Wijitporn | TEDxChiangMai Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOVMcJKtFJ4 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/MOVMcJKtFJ4 Generated: 2025-12-11T16:41:03.474+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The main outcome of this presentation is that designing cities where people and nature coexist, exemplified by the "Greener Bangkok" initiative, can lead to tangible environmental improvements like reducing urban heat island effects and fostering community attachment, which the speaker contrasts with historical trends of environmental degradation in Chiang Mai. **Key Points:** - Chiang Mai has experienced significant environmental change, with 18.37% of natural land converting to construction between 1991 and 2022, leading to increased urban heat. - The urban area of Chiang Mai saw a surface temperature increase of +10°C compared to a +2°C increase in nature areas over the same period (comparing April 3rd, 1990, and April 8th, 2024). - The speaker advocates for community-driven design, citing the success of creating small, movable green spaces (like pocket parks) that allow citizens to interact with nature and each other. - The ultimate goal is to re-establish a strong connection between people and nature, ensuring future generations inherit a better environment than the previous one. - The speaker contrasts Chiang Mai's historical reliance on large-scale, top-down projects (like the Kyoto example) with the need for smaller, community-managed spaces that provide immediate, accessible green benefits. - Specific metrics for a successful greening project include generating 300,000 tons of food and one million square meters of public space annually, and achieving a 10-20% reduction in ambient temperature in adjacent areas. ![Screenshot at 00:27: The speaker displays a side-by-side comparison of aerial views showing the rapid urban sprawl and loss of green cover in Chiang Mai over several decades, highlighting the need for intervention.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/MOVMcJKtFJ4/00-00-27.png) **Context:** The presentation, delivered by Urban Designer Thanawin Wijitporn at TEDxChiangMai Countdown, focuses on the critical need to integrate nature back into urban environments, specifically addressing the environmental challenges faced by Chiang Mai, Thailand. The speaker uses data comparing historical and recent aerial imagery of Chiang Mai to illustrate land-use change and rising urban temperatures, framing the issue as one of creating a better future through intentional urban design that prioritizes human-nature coexistence. ## Detailed Analysis Thanawin Wijitporn discusses the rapid environmental degradation in Chiang Mai, where 18.37% of natural land converted to construction between 1991 and 2022, resulting in a significant urban heat island effect (+10°C increase in urban surface temperature versus +2°C in nature areas). He argues that the desired future is not one of massive high-tech structures but one where people and nature coexist happily, using the concept of designing for connection. He contrasts this with large-scale past projects, referencing Kyoto's riverbank redesign as an example of successful public space creation around water bodies, which also helped manage flood risk. The speaker advocates for a bottom-up approach, exemplified by community-driven projects that reclaim small urban spaces (like parking spots) for green use, providing immediate benefits like food production (10 tons per year per plot) and improving the local microclimate (cooling roads by 10-20°C). The core message is that data-driven design, combined with community involvement (including religious groups like monks and temples), can successfully create a more sustainable and equitable urban environment for future generations. ### Chiang Mai's Environmental Shift - 18.37% loss of natural land to construction (1991-2022) - Urban area temperature increase of +10°C vs. Nature Area +2°C - Historical focus on infrastructure over ecology ### The Ideal Future - Cities where people and nature coexist happily - This future relies on community connection, not just skyscrapers or technology - The goal is to hand down a better environment to the next generation ### Case Study - Kyoto River Redesign - Successfully integrated public space along the river - Created spaces for recreation and managed flood risk during the rainy season ### Community-Driven Design - Reclaiming small urban spaces (like parking spots) for greening - Projects can yield 300,000 tons of food annually and provide cooling benefits (10-20°C reduction on adjacent roads) - Encourages community and family bonding through shared environmental stewardship ### Data and Action - Utilizing data (like tree density maps) to pinpoint areas needing intervention - Quantifying impact is necessary for effective planning and securing resources (e.g., land from the government) ![Screenshot at 00:27: A comparison slide showing the drastic reduction of green space in Chiang Mai between 1991 \(left\) and 2022 \(right\) due to urban expansion.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/MOVMcJKtFJ4/00-00-27.png) ![Screenshot at 03:07: A map illustrating the surface temperature change in Chiang Mai, showing urban areas \(red/orange\) significantly hotter than nature areas \(green\) by up to +10°C.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/MOVMcJKtFJ4/00-03-07.png) ![Screenshot at 04:38: A map illustrating tree density within the Chiang Mai municipal area, with red hexagons indicating areas with less than 10% tree cover.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/MOVMcJKtFJ4/00-04-38.png) ![Screenshot at 05:35: A slide showing a conceptual image of a green, livable city where a person equals a tree, symbolizing the necessary balance between urban life and nature.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/MOVMcJKtFJ4/00-05-35.png) ![Screenshot at 11:24: A collage showcasing various community-driven greening projects, including modular raised garden beds being constructed and utilized by residents.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/MOVMcJKtFJ4/00-11-24.png)