Publication: Improving the quality of life in Bangkok via change in city planning
1
Issued Date
2011-06
Resource Type
Language
eng
Rights
Mahidol University.
Bibliographic Citation
Journal of Population and Social Studies. Vol. 20, No. 1 (2011), 25-42.
Suggested Citation
Tanat Burapatana, Ross,William Improving the quality of life in Bangkok via change in city planning. Journal of Population and Social Studies. Vol. 20, No. 1 (2011), 25-42.. Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/48697
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Authors
Journal Issue
Thesis
Title
Improving the quality of life in Bangkok via change in city planning
Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
The dream of home ownership is common in modern societies, but a large numbers of house in the
suburbs lead to greenhouse gas emissions, trade deficits and social segregation. Suburbanization is often
a result of car-oriented city planning, and Bangkok, the capital and socio-economic center of Thailand,
has been developing under a car-oriented city model for several decades, thus resulting in severe traffic
congestion. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that a change in Bangkok city planning can
reduce CO2 emission and improve the quality of life. Based on the travel diary data, people who live and
work in the inner area of Bangkok have the shortest travel time (49 minutes per day); while those living
in Bangkok’s suburbs spend 109 minutes per day on average in the car. The differences in travel time can
be due to the higher vehicle kilometer traveled (VKT) of those living in the suburbs (37 km per
day on average) compared to those living in the inner city (9 km per day). Reduction of VKT via
improvement of the metro system and increase in mixed land use can decrease CO2 emission, fossil
fuel consumption, diesel fuel subsidies, and conversion of farm land to residential area.
Sponsorship
This research was supported by the grant from the Center of Toxicology, Environmental Health and Management of Toxic Chemicals
under the Science & Technology Postgraduate Education and Research Development Office (PERDO), Ministry of Education.