The Politics of Urban Space Making: a Case Study of Battambang Town, Cambodia
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THE POLITICS OF URBAN SPACE MAKING: A CASE STUDY OF BATTAMBANG TOWN, CAMBODIA TRY THUON DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIAL SCIENCE GRADUATE SCHOOL CHIANG MAI UNIVERSITY JANUARY 2020 CHAPTER 6 Conclusion 6.1 Introduction This concluding chapter suggests that the politic of urban space making and resilience cannot be achieved without seriously considering the emergence of strategic groups and how they shape urban space, livelihoods and social resilience strategies. There are four major aspects of my research. First, I examine how different strategic groups emerge to influence urban spatial planning and land-use management processes. Second, I summarize the key findings in response to the core research questions and the politics of urban space-making. Third, I reflect upon the research methodology employed and the constraints that were faced. Finally, I discuss the theoretical framework used for the analysis and the significant contribution it has made towards the study of urban resilience. 6.2 Urban Transformation Battambang is a major secondary city in Cambodia and plays the role as the main model site for municipality urban development models which are intended to be replicated in 27 other designated urban centers within the country. The town plays an important role within the ASEAN economic corridor and has strong links to other parts of Cambodia. It is endowed with a diversity of cultural heritages, where Buddhist and Hindu temples, pre-colonial ancient wooden architecture, French colonial buildings and infrastructure and post-colonial urban development co-exist. This makes the city the most attractive, charming and unique in the country. The formulization of spatial plans and land-use classifications is intended to balance modernization, beautification, and the development of a livable city through good environmental management. A feature of this planning process is the emerging concept of community-led urban development, which seeks to assist informal settlements through low-cost housing development and equitable 165 land-sharing practices among the urban poor. The urban development model applied in Battambang was used to test five significant policy and planning frameworks. The first was a large-scale land survey, which took place between 2003 and 2009 and was intended to be used to prepare the Battambang Municipal Land-Use Master Plan (Battambang Municipality Office 2015). This plan was to be approved shortly after the land survey was completed in 2009, however, it was delayed until 2016. By this stage, major land-use zones had been manipulated by dominant groups and urban elites. It contained an urban vision comprising of six major components: (i) good governance and administration; (ii) a clean and green city; (iii) a regional center for commerce and urban services; (iv) a regional center for agricultural production, processing and trade; (v) a regional center for education and knowledge; and (vi) a city of cultural and heritage tourism. This vision was inspired by the technical land-use survey published in 2009. It was predominantly made available to urban elites, enabling access to strategic groups from both within and outside of Battambang over others. On the publication of the spatial land-use survey, a five-year strategic plan for the Municipality (2011-2015) was developed with the aim of developing a „green‟ prosperous town with better employment opportunities and increased tourist numbers; improving security and public order; and promoting education and gender equality. This framework was aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, whereby sharing information and the development of partnerships were key actions, however, this was not reflected in practice. The second framework was the National Policy for Housing, drafted in 2003. This acted as the foundation for the designing of the trial urban development strategy in Battambang. The outcome of the trial in Battambang will be used to inform the final approval of a revised policy. Low-cost housing development was an instrument to attract financial support and investment from multilateral development agencies, the national government, and other investors. As of 2014, the policy was in its third draft and had been discussed but has yet to be fully approved. The third framework and perhaps one of the most important was the „National Circular 03 on Informal Settlement Development and Upgrading.‟ This policy was approved by the government in 2010 and implemented a legal mechanism for the 166 regulation of informal settlements. To limit the occurrence of evictions from urban areas and ensure that no one was left worse off, the policy outlines a seven stage process, where special working groups would be established to: (i) identify informal settlements; (ii) map and classify identified informal areas; (iii) conduct household surveys; (iv) develop a range of solutions for each site, (v) develop a plan for on-site upgrading or relocation, (vi) develop a procedure for infrastructure development and public service provisions at the proposed sites; and (vii) develop a project timeline, with scheduled participation by different key stakeholders. These procedures were considered by development planners, government officials and civil society to be a novel and ideal approach to urban development. Multiple stakeholders from national government ministries, provincial officials, local authorities, donors, and local and international NGOs had been involved in this novel form of development since 2008. The fourth framework was an urban tourism vision, strongly supported by the Ministry of Tourism, and provincial and municipal governors. On the basis of its urban heritage, the urban tourism sector envisioned Battambang as a UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape site. This would act a collective source of pride for the local community, and as a foundation for the preservation and enrichment of Khmer culture for future generations, while at the same time boosting the reputation of the city as desirable tourist destination. This vision sees Battambang as receiving international recognition for its urban heritage tourism values, which included Angkorian temples, French colonial buildings, and the Khmer Rouge legacy. This heritage, combined with agricultural and fishery livelihoods, religious and cultural practices, art, crafts, and cuisine, means the city has great potential to develop into a tourist economy. The final framework is the Battambang Provincial Spatial Plan (2010-2030), which maps out the infrastructure needs, natural resources, tourism and cultural sites of the province, particularly those located along the Cambodian-Thai border. Specifically, it outlines the status of existing natural resources, potential land for specialized agricultural production, and the labor requirements to develop these resources. It was developed at two scales. The first focuses on cross-border trade with Thailand, where economic agreements have been put in place in relation to trade and investment, food processing, and tourism, as well as private incentives for the development of other key 167 economic sectors. The second outlines the development of the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Corridor, which incluees the development of sub-regional economic centers, as well as short-term SEZs for the development of natural resources. At the municipal level, the provincial spatial plan designated Battambang as the strategic center of the province, flagged for rapid urbanization and economic development. The city is considered to be a market town and regional connection point capturing economic flows from Thailand to Vietnam, as well as Japan and China, more broadly. Infrastructure development in the plan is focused on facilitating the flow of commodities and labor. The upgrading of informal settlements through low-cost housing and urban heritage tourism has been fully aligned with the plan to develop provincial agricultural production zones and a central market. Overall, these plans have attracted multiple actors to assist in establishing the required technical and financial capacities of the project. Actors consist of local and international NGOs, donors, and the private sector, but generally the local elites end up directing and coordinating most of the activities. One of the most inspiring visions of the plan is the restructuring of urban space, where informal settlements are re-classified and officially become part of the existing urban plan, followed by low-cost housing development in order to avoid evictions. Urban heritage has been used to reassemble a modern urban vision. However, to date the theorized benefits of formal economic development and livelihood restoration strategies have not reached urban residents, except in the case of urban services and infrastructure upgrading. Specialized agricultural production of preserved fish, orange juice, and rice for export, for example, have not been fully realized despite being proposed since 2010. 6.3 Summary of Research Findings 6.3.1 The Politics of Urban Space Making Battambang has been represented as a modern city, undergoing a beautification process. The resulting clean, livable urban environment, where resources are shared equitably, is presented as a model project to be replicated in other secondary cities in Cambodia. However, the practices of dominant groups, who have managed to control the strategic resources of the city through the urban planning process have been concealed. The 168 political culture embedded within the societal systems