Investigating Information for the Khlongtoei Slum Relocation Bangkok, Thailand
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Investigating Information for the KhlongToei Slum Relocation Bangkok, Thailand Sponsored by the Duang Prateep Foundation Submitted February 26th, 2018 Image: Khlong Toei slum resident walking through her neighborhood Investigating Information for the KhlongToei Slum Relocation An Interactive Qualifying Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE and CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science In cooperation with The Duang Prateep Foundation Submitted on February 26, 2018 Submitted By Francesca Ferrero, Gabriela Morales Castillo, Julia Karg, Krittayot Chanchitfah, Nattharinee Itvarakorn, Nicholas Pandolfi, Witcha Archananupab Submitted To Esther Boucher-Yip, Professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Nongnuj Muasing, Professor, Chulalongkorn University Steven Taylor, Professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute This report represents the work of four WPI and three Chulalongkorn University undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review. For more information about the projects program at WPI, please see http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Projects Link to our website: https://sites.google.com/site/bkkc18relocation/home Acknowledgements We would like to thank the following individuals, departments, institutions, and organizations for supporting us throughout the completion of this Interactive Qualifying Project: The Duang Prateep Foundation for sponsoring the project and providing the team with continuous support. Khru Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, the founder of the Duang Prateep Foundation, for organizing this project and supplying us with essential information. Architect Parinyapon and Jee of the Duang Prateep Foundation for providing insightful guidance and information about the project. P’ Fai and P’ Duang of the Duang Prateep Foundation for walking us through the site and arranging interviews with the slum residents. Residents of the Khlong Toei slum for their participation in our interviews. Our advisors, Ajarn Nongnuj Muasing, Professor Esther Boucher-Yip, and Professor Steven Taylor for guiding us through our research and implementation. Professor Seth Tuler for guiding us in the preparation months before the project. Chulalongkorn University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute for providing us with the opportunity to have a collaborative team. The Office of the Department of Science and Bachelor of Science in Applied Chemistry (BSAC) Department for providing a workspace at Chulalongkorn University. iii Abstract The relocation of Khlong Toei slum is imminent due to increasing urban development in Bangkok. The goal of this project was to compile data to support the negotiation of suitable relocation strategies and housing options for the Khlong Toei slum community. These strategies were developed through archival research, interviews of slum residents, and applied thematic analysis. Utilizing these methods resulted in a set of critical issues, opinions, and preferences of the residents to be considered in the relocation process. This project will be the first step of a multi-year effort to make the relocation an opportunity the slum residents can benefit from. iv Executive Summary Informal settlements, also known as slums, exist in many large-scale cities across the world. In the city of Bangkok, a combination of rapid population growth and urban development has created a need for more housing accommodations. However, a lack of affordable housing has driven 1.24 million people to live in slums within the city (World Bank, 2015). Both the increase in urban development and the growth in population are factors that explain the formation of Khlong Toei slum, the largest and most populated slum in Bangkok (Duang Prateep Foundation, personal communication, 2013). Currently, the slum community is squatting on land owned by the Port Authority of Thailand. The informality of this slum coupled with the economic value of the occupied land puts them at risk for eviction. City developers view the area as available real estate for purchase and development. There are plans to use the prime location, in which the Khlong Toei slum community resides, for commercial development (A49 Firm, 2010). In order to do so, the Khlong Toei community must first be displaced. The imminent plans to develop the area have become the driving force for the relocation of the slum. Consequently, the relocation will have negative repercussions on the community. Project Goal Relocation causes major strain on the slum, as it can disrupt the slum residents’ employment opportunities, financial resources, and social networks (Pranav, 2012). In order to mitigate these effects, the Duang Prateep Foundation (DPF) is working with the Khlong Toei slum to facilitate the relocation process. The Khlong Toei community will be given two housing options to relocate which are: a high rise within the Khlong Toei District and flatland in the Nong Chok District. Both options are displayed in Figure 1. Figure 1: Left, Khlong Toei slum (orange) and proposed location of the high rise building (green). Right, the Khlong Toei slum (orange) in relation to Bangkok and the flatland option provided in the Nong Chok District. The goal of this Interactive Qualifying Project was to compile data to support the negotiation of suitable relocation strategies and housing options for the Khlong Toei slum community. We accomplished the goal by gathering information about other relocation cases around the world and collecting the Khlong Toei slum community’s perspectives and opinions on relocation. This report presents this information by highlighting critical issues and suggesting recommendations that tailor both housing options to the needs of the community. Methodology To achieve the goal of this project, we completed the following three objectives. First, we identified and analyzed case studies of relocation through archival research. Case studies provided insight on successes and failures of other relocation efforts around the world. Second, v through interviews guided by a DPF representative, we learned about the slum dwellers’ opinions and preferences on relocation to prioritize which aspects of their livelihood that must be maintained in the new location. Lastly, to fulfill our third objective the completion of a thematic analysis on both sets of data allowed for a preliminary understanding of the emotional and physical necessities to be included in the high rise and/or flatland design. Results/Key Findings Completion of the previously stated objectives resulted in a collection of themes and critical issues in accordance with the relocation of the Khlong Toei slum. These findings will serve as supportive material for adjusting the new relocation sites to fit the Khlong Toei community’s needs. To begin, we conducted interviews with residents of the slum. The interviews resulted in a compilation of community opinions and preferences regarding the relocation process. The selected interviewed members have different rent, utilities, jobs, and housing conditions. Yet, the majority of the residents use similar local services. The most commonly used services include hospitals, transportation, schools and food markets. We also observed that the spaces within the slum for community gatherings are integral to the emotional well-being of the residents. In general, the community members do not want to relocate for two main reasons. The first reason is due to the distance between the original and the new location. The second reason is the possibility of losing their incomes and jobs. However, there are some members that agree with the relocation because it will present new opportunities for their personal life or businesses. In addition, other residents prefer monetary compensation instead of the two housing options. In terms of the two relocation options: high-rise and flatland, the majority of the slum members did not have a particular preference. Nevertheless, these residents had an opinion regarding each of the sites. Some residents liked the high rise for its proximity to the original location. However, they disliked the possibility of a building maintenance fee. On the other hand, the flat land was preferred because it would provide residents with a property deed, but they would be located farther from their currently used services. The case studies were formatted with a framework developed for easy comparison between cases. The data comparison revealed major relocation themes pertinent to multiple cases around the world. The themes were also applicable to Khlong Toei through validation from input of the Khlong Toei locals in our interviews. Those themes were categorized into: emotional well-being, location of new site, new housing conditions, economic sustainability and community participation. Our team found that the fifth category, community participation, should be carried throughout the process, as it is instrumental to the relocation process. The research gathered encompasses multiple viewpoints of relocations worldwide, successes, failures, points of interest as well as analyses of these examples. Recommendations The raw data and results provide useful information for the Duang Prateep Foundation to negotiate with the government to make accommodations in the new location for the Khlong Toei community. Overall, the themes should be incorporated in the relocation