After watching the documentary Citizen Jane: Battle for the City last weekend, I finally found something in common between New York City and Bangkok -- the obsession with infrastructure development at the cost of local communities. What happened to New York City planning six decades ago reminds me of what's happening to development in Bangkok nowadays.
The documentary shows how late journalist-cum-activist Jane Jacobs in the 1960s saved communities from being wiped out by mega infrastructure to cater for personal car use such as the Lower Manhattan Expressway. Organised by the Jane Jacobs Thai Network of architects and urban planners, the show brought about discussion on the film and urban planning of the two cities.
Foreseeing how large infrastructure projects could pose a threat to city dwellers, Jacobs published a book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, in 1961.
The film was almost all about Jacobs' opposition to the late urban planner Robert Moses, a city official who perceived certain communities as slums or "the cancer of the city" which must be removed. Moses' projects wanted to turn New York City into superblocks where cars ruled. But Jacobs' opposition resulted in the cancellation of at least three projects.
Amazingly, Moses' vision still lives on -- in Bangkok. The new skywalk at Pathumwan Intersection in Siam Square area is the most reminiscent of Moses' aspiration. As an interconnection point for shopping malls, elevated train stations and one art centre, the skywalk looks "modern" and "artsy" to many Bangkokians who want good pics for their Instagram posts. With the arrival of the skywalk, City Hall has removed all zebra crossings on the street level at this intersection.
The new facility is a win-win "cooperation" between City Hall and the shopping mall owners. The former gets a large footbridge for city dwellers without having to fork out its budget. The latter, who shared the 300-million-baht cost of the project, get a tool that attracts more customers to their malls.
This project shows the low priority City Hall assigns to low-income earners (who can't afford to either use the BTS or shop at these malls) and how it gives priority to car users (the middle class and the rich). It has never had a good plan to make the city liveable for all dwellers.
The skywalk stands as a reminder of City Hall's traditional urban development that usually divides Bangkok into two different worlds -- one serving the rich and another serving the poor, widening the big social divide.
While we keep telling ourselves that we are in an inclusive society, our urban development says otherwise. A public facility that excludes certain groups of people from using it should not be considered inclusive.
Obviously, the skywalk is exclusively designed for skytrain and shopping mall customers who may never wish to set foot on Bangkok's cracked pavements amid the heat. It leaves low-income earners, who use pavements, ride buses and eat cheap street food, and wheelchair-users, out in the cold.
I don't mind if the skywalk is offered as an alternative for pedestrians to cross the intersection. But removing the zebra crossings and replacing them with the skywalk is not a good idea. Left with no other option, bus riders are now forced to walk up the 5.5metre-high stairs to the skywalk. Wheelchair users have to get into one of the shopping malls to use its lift to gain access to the facility. How will these wheelchair users cross the intersection when these malls are closed?
By removing the zebra crossings, City Hall keeps roads in Siam Square exclusively for car users, many of whom are customers of these malls, and discourages people from using pavements. In fact, it has never had a plan to encourage people to use pavements or any intention to make them more walkable.
The skywalk should be an alternative, not the only option for pedestrians. In Japan, Hong Kong or Singapore where pavements are walkable, pedestrians have options to use either underground walks, which connect with subway stations and commercial buildings, or zebra crossings.
The new skywalk serves its purpose -- getting the middle class from the expensive rail system to one shopping centre after another. But this kind of infrastructure should not be built across the city, otherwise Bangkok pavements will become underused and then poorly maintained. City Hall will then leave the pavements out in the cold, like it has done with pedestrians and wheelchair users in the Siam Square area.
Sirinya Wattanasukchai is Assistant News Editor, Bangkok Post.
